“Lingering Issues” For Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan
September 1st, 2026
Joe puts this in the “bad news” category.
Sara Walsh of NFL Network is reporting today that receivers Emeka Egbuka (sprained toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee bruise) have “lingering issues” and aren’t locks to play in Week 1.
Walsh says McMillan is running routes and is “getting there,” and there’s optimism he and Egbuka could play Week 1. Then Walsh started talking about how rookie receiver Ted Hurst is a favorite at One Buc Palace because he’s been “incredibly consistent.”
Joe isn’t in a panic, but the Bucs very likely will need 28 points to beat the high-flying Bengals on the road in 12 short days.
With the loss of Mike Evans and Sterling Shepard (39 catches), Egbuka and McMillan are key components to a Bucs offense that terrifies other teams.
Egbuka and McMillan were not practicing in the part of today’s session open to media.
September 1st, 2026 at 9:59 am
As good as Egbuka is, Hurst might end up as the #1 WR in the next year or two. I see Hurst and Egbuka as the next Evans and Godwin.
September 1st, 2026 at 9:59 am
Yeah…get healthy fellas…asap! You’re needed big time.
September 1st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Don’t rush them! With a healthy O line we should be able to play smashmouth ball! Plus didn’t we give Otton a new contract, gotta find ways to get him the ball more.
September 1st, 2026 at 10:08 am
Hurst, Tez and Godwin can hold the fort meanwhile. Don’t forget Bucky and Gainwell. Great hands are plenty in this offense.
Now let’s see how Todd handles these injuries. Hopefully he learned from the Baker disaster decision to keep playing him for an epic December collapse. SMH
September 1st, 2026 at 10:10 am
I have a lot of confidence at least one of them will be ready to go. Not saying it’s enough to win, but enough to not be the reason for a loss.
September 1st, 2026 at 10:12 am
If it wasn’t for Todd as our coach, many would be confident on this team going deep in the playoffs.
September 1st, 2026 at 10:23 am
Toe is a KILLER!
It’s the old injury/ pain dilemma
September 1st, 2026 at 10:29 am
28 points? Bucs might need 50 to beat bengals. Really think Bucs/bowles can stop chase and Higgins?
September 1st, 2026 at 10:35 am
Let’s hope EE doesn’t receive the Carl Nicks toe therapy…..
September 1st, 2026 at 10:40 am
Worst news Joe, that turf toe likely to linger all season. They just don’t heal without a ton of rest. I believe they often need surgery. The good news Godwin healthy and sounds like J Mac has a good shot
September 1st, 2026 at 10:41 am
Worst news Joe, that turf toe likely to linger all season. They just don’t heal without a ton of rest. I believe they often need surgery. The good news Godwin healthy and sounds like J Mac has a decent chance
September 1st, 2026 at 10:42 am
You can’t blame “worthless” preseason games for their injuries…..
September 1st, 2026 at 10:49 am
They should have signed Shep as insurance. The guy was consistent and on the same page as Baker. Now he is gone.
The other young receivers have flashes of brilliance but they are not consistent, especially when other teams are keying on them. I am afraid that EE’s injury may be worse than reported.
September 1st, 2026 at 10:51 am
The good news is both guys might play Week 1. The bad news is I’ve already entered the bargaining stage of grief.
Mike Evans leaves and apparently the football gods immediately begin stress-testing the warranty on every remaining receiver.
I’m not panicking. I’m simply calmly calculating how many touchdowns Baker can personally throw to himself.
September 1st, 2026 at 10:53 am
I’m not sure how much the Bucs would use either of them against the Bengals anyway. Look for the Godwin & Gainwell show for the first game. The Bucs will play ball control to keep the Bengals offense off the field. Could work! You see the Bucs throwing screens all offseason and Godwin will keep the chains moving. Now if the Bengals get up by two scores, we’re in big trouble.
September 1st, 2026 at 11:00 am
i love the way everyone sleeps on mcmillan……. jmac might have a big year
September 1st, 2026 at 11:00 am
RunDaBall
September 1st, 2026 at 11:14 am
Both of these guys were banged up through college, so they’re definitely used to this. It has become pretty routine for them, at this point. Always sumpin. I thought EE’s was concerning as soon as I heard it… They didn’t just come out and necessarily say “turf toe,” but it sure sounded like, turf toe. But, a “bruise” for JMac… On HIS KNEE. Really!? HOW!? During UNDERWEAR Football!? He’s had enough problems in the past, that I believe I’d make sure to wear enough padding there, and maybe try protecting myself. Cause, nothing else matters when you can’t get on the field.
September 1st, 2026 at 11:15 am
It’s going to linger all year for egbuka. Toe is a nasty injury. Hopefully JMac pulls through
September 1st, 2026 at 11:17 am
Throw Sterling on the practice squad and elevate lol
September 1st, 2026 at 11:38 am
If Robinson is just gonna throw screen passes all day, what does it matter!?
If JMac is running routes already, he will be fine.
Run game better be solid, cause I have some serious doubts about Z-Rob and the passing game despite our weapons.
I’m optimistic that Whitmer will have Baker on point though.
September 1st, 2026 at 11:48 am
@ adam from ny Says: “i love the way everyone sleeps on mcmillan……. jmac might have a big year.”
EE would’ve also been a 3rd-Round WR (potentially 4th, according to Urban Meyer), in that same 2024 draft as JMac. They were both INJURED. The only difference was HE returned to school, and a fat NIL check on a LOADED Ohio State team, that also had several others who decided to come back and make a run at a National Title. JMac, on the other hand, lost HIS HC (to Alabama), and HIS QB (Penix) to the NFL Draft. And, I’m sure nowhere near the NIL $$$ at Washington, than what OSU dolled-out famously, for THAT ROSTER. I liked JMac BETTER than BOTH of Odunze (#9-Pick), AND Polk (#37-Pick). Him getting hurt actually gave Polk (and Odunze) the opportunity for more targets. So, who knows had JMac also returned to school, & stayed healthy… He probably gets in the 1st-Round of that WEAK (high-end) WR-class of 2025. He’s just got to stay HEALTHY, for once. So does EE.
September 1st, 2026 at 11:51 am
Next man up… unfortunately!!!!!
September 1st, 2026 at 11:52 am
Guy can play through a knee bruise that has had over a month come on.
JMac is gonna torch the Bengals you watch.
With Egbuka this O could be silly.
September 1st, 2026 at 11:55 am
How about Otton?? Is he still down too?
September 1st, 2026 at 12:07 pm
Wow. No bueno considering it will probably take 30+ to beat the Bengals.
September 1st, 2026 at 12:09 pm
Looking at Zac Robinson’s two year’s in ATL I am not convinced the offense is going to be close to Coen’s productivity.
Todd calls the game like and like’s to play one score games, Bucs will be in a lot of games but won’t be good enough on either side of the ball to win more than 6 games
September 1st, 2026 at 12:14 pm
OurYear Says:
September 1st, 2026 at 11:00 am
RunDaBall
BINGO!!!!!!!
hopefully Zac shows up and doesnt abandon the run game in the 1st quarter
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 1st, 2026 at 12:21 pm
Turf toe injuries last forever…
Not good for our young WR1.
September 1st, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Amazing how injury descriptions blossom on sites like this. I’ve now read a number of folks elaborating on Egbuka’s ‘turf toe injury’. Newsflash: Egbuka DOES NOT have a turf toe injury. Here’s what they diagnosed …
The Incident: Egbuka hurt his toe on August 12 during a joint practice with the New York Jets when a player rolled up on his foot.
Medical Diagnosis: Specialists evaluated the foot and confirmed a stable sprain, allowing the team to avoid a severe and lingering turf toe timeline.
NFL Network’s Sara Walsh nailed it: ‘Emeka Egbuka (sprained toe)’. I’m sure it hurts like he11, but sprains have always seemed to be easier to recover from than than breaks or even ‘turf toe’. Like Marine Buc said ‘Turf toe injuries last forever’. Thankfully Emeka doesn’t have that.
September 1st, 2026 at 1:34 pm
I don’t know what equipment Egbuka was using, but turf toe is largely a preventable injury.
A carbon technology custom built into the cleat allows the great toe to bend freely upward up to about 22 degrees where it locks to prevent the great toe from bending further and causing the sprain called turf toe.
But, many receivers like the extremely light “natural feel” of shoes that are essentially cleats mounted on a ballet slipper with no support, so unnecessary injuries continue.
If the sprain is one of the low grades, a ten to twenty minute pre work hot soak at about 107 degrees F followed by topical lidocaine and physical therapy manipulation should allow daily work wearing a cleat built with a custom fitted smart carbon support followed by post work icing.
A partial nerve block with a touch of steroids the day before games should get him through until it heals.
September 1st, 2026 at 1:57 pm
Three tight end sets were a thing last year. Zac Robinson seems to like tight ends. Hopefully we have some three tight end sets in our future? Hearing the EE has turf toe is devastating. It can be a chronic issue.
September 1st, 2026 at 3:29 pm
The Bucs didn’t so much lose Sterling Shepard as they abandoned him at a gas station while he went in for a bag of ice. Being deadly within 2 yards of the LOS at 5.0 speed just doesn’t cut it.
Mike Evans is hobbled this season and is another year older. Likely as not that would’ve happened to him here.
Whatever happens this year the Bucs aren’t relying on any single player at wide receiver. Godwin is a little more important than the rest of them, but Egbuka being out isn’t the killer some might think it is as long as the rest can play.
Also I wouldn’t count on Egbuka doing much for a while. Turf toe injuries are NOT predictable like other things. Re-injury is very common and grading the injury isn’t a foolproof gauge of severity. They need to be patient with him.
September 1st, 2026 at 3:54 pm
Bucs do need their WRs back. Against Bengal they need to run the ball and extend drives, Keep Bengals OF off the field. Bengal have been terrible on opening season games;
Week 1: The Bengals hold a 1–6 record in Week 1 under Zac Taylor:
2019 at Seattle Seahawks L 20–21
2020 vs. Los Angeles Chargers L 13–16
2021 vs. Minnesota Vikings W 27–24 (OT)
2022 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers L 20–23 (OT)
2023 at Cleveland Browns L 3–24
2024 vs. New England Patriots L 10–16
2025 vs. Cleveland Browns L 16–17
2026 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers ???
Todd Bowles is 4-0 on Openning Day
September 1st, 2026 at 4:28 pm
CG, Otten, JMac, Hurst, Bucky and Gainwell. Plenty of firepower without EE. Run the ball, control the clock and Keep Burrow, Chase and Higgins on the sideline.
Bengals are not that good and certainly beatable. We have the offensive advantage due to our O line and no tape on how Zac will use these offensive assets.
September 1st, 2026 at 4:56 pm
Hurst at X, JMac at Z, and Godwin and Tez in slot. If you can’t win with that, you deserve to lose
September 1st, 2026 at 5:07 pm
none of these guys are evans. nor will they be. let the excuses start for the losing season.
September 1st, 2026 at 5:30 pm
How many times did Robinsons offense score 28 or more last year? Cincinnati will be a great test of our 1st string Offense’s preparedness.
September 1st, 2026 at 6:10 pm
Itzok Says:
none of these guys are evans. nor will they be. let the excuses start for the losing season.
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Evans isn’t Evans these days. He’s a 33 year old WR with a HOF jacket waiting for him. He’s won a Super Bowl and is spending this season trying to hold his body together for one last ride on a run-first team. He’s no longer a full-time WR1 and this isn’t 2020 anymore.
September 1st, 2026 at 6:18 pm
@Bucsarg
How many times did Robinsons offense score 28 or more last year?
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2 times. You’ll keep your sanity by not looking at the Falcons body of work on offense last year. The plan was mostly ‘hand off or throw it to Bijan and hope that works.’
September 1st, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Oh but we are so talented at wide receiver, that’s all I hear on here. Horse manure even with these guys healthy we’re average