TAMPA — Buccaneers right guard Cody Mauch returned to full practice at the team’s first OTA session this week, marking his first on-field work since a torn meniscus suffered during a Week Two Monday Night Football win at Houston ended his 2025 season.
“Rehab’s done now, so I finally put that behind me,” Mauch said. “I’m back out here. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while, so it’s good to be back.”
Mauch, who said he had never previously missed a single snap due to injury dating to high school, was placed on season-ending injured reserve after finishing every snap of the Houston game before an exam the next day revealed the tear. He has since added weight to his frame, moving from 315 to 318 pounds last season to 325 pounds, and said he does not expect the added size to affect his mobility.
“It’s weird that the last time I was out on this field with a helmet on was September,” Mauch said. “I just texted my wife, like I was just so happy that my knee felt great and everything. So we were just kind of pumped about that. I think the biggest thing with the whole rehab process is just taking your small wins, and I’m counting today a really big win.”
Head Coach Todd Bowles said Mauch’s return is critical to reassembling the offensive line that powered Tampa Bay’s rushing attack to fourth in the NFL in 2024, averaging a franchise-record 5.25 yards per carry. “Cody was kind of our unsung guy down there, but he’s one of the toughest and one of the smartest down there,” Bowles said. “He packed a lot of weight, as well, so to get him back at that position and get all five guys back was helpful.”
That 2024 unit — left tackle Tristan Wirfs, right tackle Luke Goedeke, center Graham Barton, left guard Ben Bredeson and Mauch — combined to play 5,489 of 5,950 offensive snaps, or 92.3% of available playing time. In 2025, injuries shattered that continuity. All-Pro Wirfs missed the first three games after July knee surgery, Goedeke missed four early-season games with a concussion, and both Bredeson and Mauch landed on injured reserve. The group accounted for just 3,346 of 5,670 possible snaps — 59.0% — and Tampa Bay cycled through nine different starting offensive line combinations across 17 games. Barton was the only starter to miss fewer than five games.
“We didn’t get a single snap last year where we all played together,” Mauch said. “Obviously, guys stepped in, guys did well, but with all the random lineups we had it’s tough as an offensive line to play next to new people all the time. It’s going to be huge this offseason and hopefully we all stay healthy and whatnot. We’re finally getting some reps back together again, so I’m really excited about that.”
The Buccaneers have nine more OTA practices remaining before the team reports for training camp later this summer.