The Buccaneers have continued to withstand body blows on offense, but they may be getting some help after the bye. Tampa Bay will see right tackle Luke Goedeke back at practice this week.
Down since suffering a foot injury in Week 2, Goedeke received a return designation, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. This injury came before the spree of skill-position maladies — affecting Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka — to plague the NFC South leaders. A Goedeke return would help a Bucs O-line that has missed other pieces at points.
While Goedeke has been sidelined, the Bucs lost right guard Cody Mauch for the season. They have yet to deploy Goedeke and starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs in a game together this season, with the All-Pro not debuting until Goedeke landed on IR. Having that duo back together would give Tampa Bay four of its five starting O-linemen — along with left guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton — together. This would certainly benefit Baker Mayfield, whose MVP push has included a shorthanded squad throughout.
More to come.