[](https://www.joebucsfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Egbukaorange.png)How and why did receiver Emeka Egbuka go from spectacular to nothing special during last season, his rookie campaign after Tampa Bay made him a first-round draft pick in 2025?
Most Bucs fans have heard all the possible reasons.
Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht told Ira Kaufman last week that Egbuka was simply asked to do more than what should have been demanded of rookie.
**Ira Kaufman:** Why did Egbuka’s play fall off after the bye week?
**Jason Licht:** First of all, rookies coming from championship-type programs that play deep into their season, then barely have enough time to train and come right into the fray here — that has something to do with it. Then people started paying more attention to Emeka and we had the injuries to Chris and Mike (Evans), where we were forced to play Emeka in multiple spots. As smart as he is, and he’s incredibly smart, to ask a rookie to move around like that, play the X, play the Z, it took a toll on him.
Joe doesn’t disagree with Licht, but Joe thinks Egbuka’s issues were much more about his own injury issues, Baker Mayfield’s injuries, offensive line injuries, a case of the dropsies and a weak offensive coordinator.
Joe hasn’t lost faith in Egbuka, but he set a very high bar early last season and that has become the expectation if he’s healthy.