Bucs RT Luke Goedeke watching the offensive line warm up prior to the Week 3 Bucs home game against the Jets.
What Joe is sniffing isn’t good.
Last week, NFL uber insider Adam Schefter said on his podcast that the Bucs have lost two starting offensive linemen for the season. One is Cody Mauch, the Bucs’ starting right guard who blew out a knee at Houston Week 2.
Joe periodically sees Mauch around One Buc Palace or The Licht House on crutches.
So who was this second starting offensive lineman? It’s not Michael Jordan, the fill-in left guard who started two games when Ben Bredeson played at center to start the season.
Jordan was sidelined with a knee injury after playing all of the Week 2 game at Houston. Yesterday, Jordan was practicing at One Buc Palace after practicing a little last week. So he’s not the one Schefter referenced.
Tristan Wirfs returned to the lineup against the Eagles in Week 4. In Week 2 against Houston, right tackle Luke Goedeke left after just 12 snaps with a messed-up foot, which he originally injured in Week 1.
Both before the Houston game,and since, Joe has spotted Goedeke in sandals or common sneakers without his foot wrapped or using any apparatus on his foot.
After Sunday’s win over the 49ers, on the BSPN+ NFL highlight show co-hosted by former Bucs defensive tackle Booger McFarland, Booger said the Bucs’ “right tackle” is on IR and not coming back this season. Like Schefter, Booger didn’t name the player in question. Could it be that Booger confused Mauch with Goedeke? Sure, it’s possible, but it’s doubtful Schefter and Booger made the same mistake.
So Thursday, Joe asked Bucs coach Todd Bowles if he had a ballpark guesstimate when Goedeke may return.
Bowles was vague.
“When he gets out there and practices, I’ll have a better ballpark,” Bowles said. “Until now, he’s rehabbing like the rest of them.
“And [I] honestly don’t have [a recovery timetable] right now until I see him out there running around doing something. I don’t have a ballpark estimate of him right now.”
OK, that’s fair. Hard to have an idea when a player can play before he can run.
Joe then followed up, asking Bowles if he expects Goedeke to return this season. Here is Bowles’ response, verbatim:
“I would hope he’s back, yes. He should be.”
That wasn’t “Yes,” or “He will be.”
This is a strange injury to Goedeke. Again, he played 12 snaps against Houston before leaving the game. He hasn’t played since. Joe has seen Goedeke twice after the Houston game not wearing any boot or any apparatus on his foot or using crutches.
Goedeke was wearing a boot and using a small scooter for folks rehabbing a leg or a foot prior the Jets-Bucs game in Week 3.
There is a TikTok video from Sunday of Goedeke standing behind Baker Mayfield during pregame introductions. It’s unclear if Goedeke is wearing a boot or not on his left foot.
Here is a screenshot from the video:
So there remains intrigue and mystery surrounding Goedeke. People from the four-letter seem to suggest he’s done for the year while Bowles is vague about his status.
So what does Joe know? Well, Goedeke has sat out the NFL minimum-required four games after being placed on the injured reserve list on Sept. 18. So Goedeke is eligible to return to practice (and play in a game) at any time.