Might get on the field today.

If you believe the injury reports from NFL teams, Bucs receiver Jalen McMillan may not get too many snaps this afternoon as the Bucs open their 2026 season in Cincinnati.

Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka will definitely be on the field. But also, fans may get to see rookie Ted Hurst.

Hurst has Joe stoked. The guy has really demonstrated, at least in practice, that the NFL is not too big for the Georgia Southern product.

While his height makes people think of Mike Evans, he has speed to run go routes. But what Joe has noticed about Hurst isn’t so much his size or his speed. Instead, he is just so damn consistent making all meat-and-potatoes catches, specifically contested catches.

Joe spoke with Hurst this past week about how he may reach his dream today and play in his first NFL game.

Hurst said his head is locked in at the task at hand: Helping the Buc win. He’ll soak his first NFL game in afterwards.

“It’s a job,” Hurst said. “Everybody has a goal. This is a team. We have to go out there and be the best we can.

“You have to understand it is a different tempo. Preseason is over with. [Cincinnati is] playing for their lives also.”

Joe asked Hurst about his ability to haul in contested passes. He said that’s the goal: Catch all passes, difficult or easy.”

“That’s my role and that’s my game,” Hurst said of contested catches, even saying that’s more important to him than stretching the field and making “wow” catches. “If they are looking for me to go up and get those 50/50 contested balls or make plays down the field, that’s what I am going to do.”

Joe had a chat recently with a Bucs personnel guy. Joe asked him what impressed him most about Hurst, his ability to bring in contested catches or stretch the field. The Bucs’ type answered, “Yes.”

But Joe pressed him and learned what got Hurst on the Bucs’ radar was his ability to peel away from defenders on bombs and his YAC. But the more tape they watched of him, the more they were impressed Hurst was a damn good all-around receiver.

There is a reason why both Joes are stoked about Hurst and what he may become for the Bucs.