Fantasy Football News

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield revealed on Netflix's Quarterback documentary that he sprained his MCL and PCL in Week 2 last year. Mayfield didn't miss any time with those injuries and didn't appear on the injury report with a knee until Week 5. He also dealt with a right biceps injury early last season and sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder near halftime of Week 12. He missed the second half of that game but returned the following week.

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving practiced on Thursday for the first time this offseason, according to Pewter Report. He's been working back from February shoulder surgery, and HC Todd Bowles sounded alarms in late May when he suggested that Irving could be in danger of missing the start of the season. But Irving practicing in June -- without a non-contact jersey -- is a good sign.

Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin was rarely, if ever, healthy last season. He missed the first three games working back from the serious ankle injury that ended his 2024 campaign. Then he made it just two games before a fibula injury knocked him out for the next five. He was mostly quiet over the final seven games of the season, although he did pop for a 7-108-1 line in Week 17. Godwin avoided any further setbacks, though, and has been able to spend this offseason working on his game, rather than rehabbing. "Anytime you have the ability to train for performance and not for recovery, it’s a huge difference," he said recently.

Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles might have let it slip that RB Bucky Irving is in danger of missing the start of the season. "We expect him sometime back in the summer or the fall," Bowles said Tuesday. What looked like a relatively harmless shoulder surgery in February now carries legit Week 1 downside for fantasy drafters.

Second-year WR Emeka Egbuka appears positioned for a massive role increase in Tampa Bay’s new offense. ESPN’s Ben Solak highlighted Egbuka as a potential breakout candidate after Mike Evans departed in free agency, and new OC Zac Robinson compared Egbuka’s game to Cooper Kupp’s.Tampa Bay already saw what a featured Egbuka looks like: 25 catches, 445 yards, and 5 TDs in five games.

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving isn’t cleared for football action yet after postseason shoulder surgery, according to Pewter Report.

The Buccaneers signed Georgia Tech WR Eric Rivers as an undrafted free agent this week. Rivers opened his college career as a walk-on DB at Memphis in 2021, then missed the following season with a shoulder injury. He transferred to Florida International in 2023 and enjoyed a solid first season at wideout. Despite missing a game, Rivers ranked second on the team in catches (32) and TD receptions (2), and third in receiving yards (370). He broke out with a big 62-1,172-12 receiving line in 2024, racking up 18.9 yards per catch. His 3.57 yards per route ranked second among 347 FBS WRs who drew at least 40 targets that season. A transfer to Georgia Tech produced a quieter final season, though Rivers led the Yellow Jackets with 658 receiving yards and tied for the receptions lead (46).

The Buccaneers selected Georgia State WR Ted Hurst in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Hurst spent two years at Division II Valdosta State before jumping to FBS-level Georgia State. He set a school record for TD receptions in his first season while averaging 17.2 yards per catch. He followed that with a first-team all-conference season in 2025. The numbers pop: 71 catches, 999 yards, and 6 scores. Primarily an outside player, Hurst posted a nice 14.1 yards per catch and 2.42 yards per route run. At 6’4 and 206 pounds, Hurst looks like an NFL boundary receiver. He pairs size and catch radius with vertical speed. His 34 receptions of 20+ yards across 2024-2025 led all FBS receivers. He’ll need to improve his hands, though, with drop rates of 9.0% and 9.7% over the past two seasons.

The Buccaneers spent a second-round pick on Missouri LB Josiah Trotter. The son of former NFL LB Jeremiah Trotter drew starting duty the past two years, first at West Virginia and then with the Tigers. He racked up 13 tackles for loss among 84 total tackles in his final college season, before entering the draft early.

The Buccaneers spent the 15th pick of the draft on Miami Edge Rueben Bain Jr. Bain delivered right away, tallying 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a freshman. He totaled 20.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss for his career.

According to Oliver Connolly of The Read Optional, University of Miami DE Rueben Bain was involved in a fatal traffic accident in March 2024. The report says Bain was driving when he collided with another vehicle. Two passengers in that vehicle were hospitalized, including 22-year-old Destiny Betts, who died of her injuries on June 13, 2024.

Longtime Buccaneers LB Lavonte David announced his retirement Tuesday. He arrived back in 2012 as a second-round pick, and immediately stepped into a full-time role. David started every game in which he appeared from 2012 through 2025 and missed just 14 total games across his 14-year run. David's retirement marks the biggest change to the Tampa Bay LB corps, arguably since he entered the league. But the team already started addressing the situation before David made it official.

The Buccaneers have placed the restricted free agent tender on RB Sean Tucker, according to The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week that the Bucs would not use the tender on Tucker, which would have sent him to the open market. But Tampa is now set to pay Tucker $3.52 million on a one-year deal. Tucker can still negotiate with other teams, but the Bucs would have the right to match any offer.

Tampa Bay has agreed to a two-year deal with RB Kenneth Gainwell that will pay $14 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Gainwell spent 2025 with the Steelers after arriving on a mere one-year, $1.79 million pact. That followed four seasons with the Eagles, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2021.

The Buccaneers and TE Cade Otton agreed to a new deal just after free agency opened on Monday. No word yet on details of the fresh contract. Otton was considered one of the top TEs on the market, although that's more because of his well-rounded game than his dynamism as a pass catcher.

The Buccaneers will not place the restricted tender on RB Sean Tucker, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. That'll make Tucker a free agent when the new year league starts next week. It's a slightly surprising move considering the tender would have paid Tucker a reasonable $3.52 million on a one-year deal. But the Buccaneers have never seemed to like him as much as many in the fantasy community.

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving underwent offseason shoulder surgery, according to multiple reports. We don't have any other details on the procedure, but JoeBucsFan.com reports that rehab is not expected to "significantly impact" Irving's offseason. Pewter Report hears that he should be ready to get back on the field by May.

The Buccaneers are hiring Zac Robinson as their new OC, "with a big push" from QB Baker Mayfield, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mayfield worked with Robinson during his six-week stint with the Rams in 2022. Robinson spent five seasons working under Sean McVay in Los Angeles before serving as Falcons OC for the last two. Atlanta ranked sixth in yards and 13th in points in Robinson's debut, before falling to 14th in yards and 24th in points this past year. Both of Robinson's Falcons offenses ranked higher in rush attempts than pass attempts. Expect him to bring a balanced attack to Tampa Bay. Considering Mayfield's hand in the hiring, though, consider the move good news for the QB's chances of a bounce-back 2026.

The Buccaneers have fired OC Josh Grizzard, according to multiple reports. Grizzard spent just one season piloting the Tampa Bay offense after joining the team as pass-game coordinator in 2024. He spent seven years on the Dolphins offensive staff before that, working under head coaches Adam Gase, Brian Flores, and Mike McDaniel. Next season will mark the fifth time in five years under HC Todd Bowles that the Bucs have sported a different OC.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin racked up 7 catches, 108 yards, and 1 TD in Sunday's loss vs. Miami. The veteran ranked second on the team in targets (8) beyond only Jalen McMillan.