Please, No More Emeka Egbuka Returning Punts
August 10th, 2025
No more punt returns, please.
As Joe pointed out last night, if you can return a punt, you may try emailing the Bucs. They may have a job for you.
With the top two punt return candidates on the shelf in Trey Palmer and Tez Johnson, anyone who can be a little proficient returning punts is likely going to get the job.
Apparently, one of those candidates is rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka. And that shouldn’t be.
Joe knows the Bucs gave their first-round pick a spin at punt return in practice. But that’s practice.
Playing on a wet field last night at The Licht House after a downpour just before kickoff, Joe had acid reflux seeing Egbuka out there to return a punt, even if it turned out to be a fair catch.
Egbuka is way too important to be returning punts.
No one outside of One Buc Palace knows when (or if) Chris Godwin will be ready to go. Here we are less than a month before Week 1 and to Joe’s knowledge, Godwin has yet to work out running on a side field with a trainer at One Buc Palace.
If Godwin is running, he is doing it away from the public eye.
So until Godwin comes back, Egbuka is vital for the Bucs’ chances to make a playoff run this winter. He’s too vital to be farting around returning punts, risking getting his head knocked off.
You don’t see Baker Mayfield or Mike Evans or Antoine Winfield returning punts. Egbuka shouldn’t, either. Don’t do it.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:03 am
I’ll bet Baker would if Bowles would let him.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:05 am
Garret Greene will be your returner-looked good at that job and at WR.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:08 am
Greene looked good and forced a desperate face mask to stop him from going house.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:09 am
Please.. no more!! Unless he’s just there to call for a fair catch lol.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:09 am
Wet field.. one day old sod.
WTF were they thinking?
I mean replacing the sod one day before? Couldn’t that have been done today with two weeks before the next game?
August 10th, 2025 at 10:18 am
Vita Vea should return punts.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:19 am
Is this the same coach that left Godwin in a game that was already LOST? I could not believe my eyes when I saw him in to return a punt in a pre-season game. Todd is a FOOL!
August 10th, 2025 at 10:29 am
Wasn’t able to watch the game last night. This is as dumb as having Irving return kicks last year.
It’s this type of stuff that makes ppl question Todd Bowles decision making.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:45 am
Keep Greene. His QB experience helps him run routes properly. I liked the way he sat down in the open spot of the zone on a crossing pattern. And if you run a reverse with him you have the option to throw deep if the defense falls asleep.
August 10th, 2025 at 10:52 am
Agree 100%. Complete idiocy to have Ebuka back there returning punts. He shouldn’t be a gunner, he shouldn’t play special teams at all. Period. Whose brainfart was this anyway? Todd?
August 10th, 2025 at 10:57 am
Bakerfan Says:
August 10th, 2025 at 10:18 am
Vita Vea should return punts.
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😂Still laffin’.😂 Hey, why not? I doubt EE will be the punt returner. Greene did sound capable, tho thank god, he didn’t get his neck broken.
August 10th, 2025 at 11:20 am
Can Miller return punts, he looked pretty good
August 10th, 2025 at 11:32 am
Garrett Greene looked great at PR and WR. My dark horse to make the team.
August 10th, 2025 at 11:32 am
Garrett Green on punt returns. Natural instincts are great. Also possibly a Swiss army knife we could use.
August 10th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Only until Godwin comes back. Afterwards, if Egbuka is the best possible punt returner on a Bucs team with no one else who can do it well – he absolutely should return kicks. Heck, Deion was returning punts for several years back when it was nearly legal to decapitate the runner.
August 10th, 2025 at 12:29 pm
GG very versatile and Bowles loves versatile
August 10th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
umm guys…
greene isn’t even making the team…
what’s wrong with you lol
August 10th, 2025 at 12:42 pm
I almost threw a rock from my cocktail at the TV when I saw EE back there to return a punt….sheer stupidity. This is not the 1st time Bowles has made a dumbass decision. He has one of the most prized and recognized rookies in the NFL and one that is critical to the success of the team and he puts him out there on a wet, slippery field? Hmmmm…that’s why im extremely skeptical of our coach….and why i believe that Bud Licht’s decision to keep him is wrong!!
August 10th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Players seem to love playing for Bowles but every now and then he makes boneheaded decisions and putting Emeka out there to return punts is one of them.
August 10th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
This is what happens when your genius is overworked on two jobs and misses details, like personnel. Glad the punt went OB.
Todd should have told Jason to go get another scrub RB or two off the street so that Rachaad wouldn’t get injured, or Tucker. Oops.
It’s amazing when genius and idiocy flow from the same cranium.
I thought he’d turned the corner. After seeing Cam Ward slice him up like a cantaloupe at a picnic with pass rushers in deep coverage, it’s obvious. He has not and will not.
August 10th, 2025 at 1:23 pm
“Egbuka is way too important to be returning punts.”
Get with the times. We have plenty of depth and the new rules make kick returning a bigger part of the game. Teams will have to invest top pick in the role.
August 10th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Egbuka returned punts at OSU. While he was good at catching the ball, and made the right decision on when to catch the ball or let it bounce to go into the endzone for a touchback, EE was not a game breaker and never returned any punts for TDs. Only TD scored by the buckeyes was actually by Caleb Downs. I agree with Joe that EE is too valuable as a wr to be returning punts
August 10th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
Agreed! I was mortified when I saw him fielding a punt.
August 10th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Agree also. No need to risk an injury. Even if he housed it I still wouldn’t want him doing it in preseason.
August 10th, 2025 at 3:20 pm
My buddy is a Giants fan from Connecticut and even he was like “What TF was Todd Bowles thinking?”
August 10th, 2025 at 3:35 pm
they should let trask return punts
August 10th, 2025 at 3:47 pm
Are punt returns really more dangerous than catching a pass down field or blocking on a run play? Some of Y’all are just looking for things to get pi$$ed about, as usual 🙄
August 10th, 2025 at 3:52 pm
Could not agree with JOE more on this point. WTH Todd?
August 10th, 2025 at 4:51 pm
Im glad I’m not the only one who feels like this. And is the comment accurate about fresh sod? That cannot be true is it?
August 10th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
RE-TODD BOWLES!
August 10th, 2025 at 5:17 pm
Egbuka is not a good punt returner,
I have nothing against WRs returning punts
Desean Jackson did it for years, played 15 years in the NFL
August 10th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
I’m not even being argumentative … but is there any stats or info out there that show punt returners get hurt more often than anyone else? I agree that e2 shouldn’t be used in this role, but injuries happen at any time, I’m not sure punt returner is particularly dangerous compared to other positions.
August 10th, 2025 at 5:34 pm
If Egbuka was a great punt returner, like DeSean Jackson
Then he should be returning punts, no question asked
He would get injured quicker, on a crossing route
Bottom line
He’s not a good punt returner
It’s comes down to Garrett Greene or Tez Johnson
Greene has more to offer, in terms of contributions
And Tez is not playing now
August 10th, 2025 at 5:47 pm
Nevermind returning punts, I don’t even want to see him on the field again in preseason. Same is true for all starters, and all second string players. Not a single rep in preseason.
August 10th, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Agreed, Joe. For all the reasons listed above.
August 10th, 2025 at 7:05 pm
Too important to return punts! I don’t think any Bucs fans said that about desean Jackson because you wanted him out there more. You get the best player on the field period. Then you see what patriots did with legarrette blount lol yea draft status doesn’t exempt you from punt or kick returns
August 10th, 2025 at 8:00 pm
Rod Munch Says:
August 10th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
I’m not even being argumentative … but is there any stats or info out there that show punt returners get hurt more often than anyone else?
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The field was wet.
Why risk it?
August 10th, 2025 at 10:54 pm
I get that the Bucs are trying to find a punt returner but why on earth would they let Ebuka line up there in the first quarter. I have a little one who is a new Bucs fan but he isn’t much of a talker yet. When they showed Ebuka lining up to return a punt little Billy Ray Bob said who’s bright idea is it to put Ebuka out there?
August 10th, 2025 at 11:11 pm
Bucemup
Report on state d was from Titans beat reporter (with video)
TURRON DAVENPORT
@TDavenport_NFL
The grass here at Raymond James Stadium was just laid down yesterday. You can see seams in the field where it hasn’t mended together. Between that and the rain, this is definitely not a great surface to play on
August 11th, 2025 at 11:24 pm
DoooshLaRue Says:
The field was wet.
Why risk it?
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Then why play him at all? Why play anyone? Why play the game? Why is Chris Meyers eating a cookie live on the air? Did you wish you were that cookie?