The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went from one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league to one of the thinnest thanks to some comically bad injury luck in the middle of a red hot start to the 2025 season. A loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football took an even bigger bite out of the depth.
Fans who are interested in big names will be quick to point out that veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who put together a decade of success with the Seattle Seahawks, will become available after he demanded and was granted his release from the one-win, coachless Tennessee Titans.
Lockett will clearly be eyeing contenders that can help him slip a ring on his finger, and he may try to force his way to the Bucs after an injury to Mike Evans likely knocked the future Hall of Famer out for most, if not all, of the 2025 season.
Lockett does have some name brand value to bring to the table, but the Bucs would be falling into a trap if they sign him. His time with the Titans showed that he is not what he was in Seattle.
Bucs need to avoid getting involved with Tyler Lockett after 2025 regression
Lockett has just 10 catches for 70 yards this year, as the 33-year-old receiver is looking every bit his age. While he might be eyeing a shot with a contender, Lockett hasn't shown that he has his legs under him in 2025.
This is not like the DeAndre Hopkins situation, as the fringe Hall of Famer had some gas left in the tank despite being let down by Will Levis at quarterback. Lockett looks a step slower, and he doesn't have Hopkins' physical tools that can help him overcome some of those age-related side effects.
A healthy Egbuka and Godwin should be enough to shoulder most of the passing game responsibility. Bucky Irving is returning to action soon, and rookie Tez Johnson has proven to be capable of shouldering a very small NFL workload. Forcing Lockett into this lineup would do more harm than good at this point.
Lockett has put together a fabulous career in the NFL, but his inability to make much an impact in a very thin Titans wide receiver room does not bode well for his chances of getting back on the horse in a different offense. Tampa has more pressing issues to address, even after the crushing Evans injury.