TAMPA — Buccaneers wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan returned to the practice field Monday after weeks of limited or no participation, a significant development with the regular-season opener just six days away.
“They got their first taste out there,” Head Coach Todd Bowles said after the 80-minute field session. “We’ll see how the week goes but they ran around pretty good today.”
Egbuka (toe) and McMillan (knee) represent one-third of a wide receiver unit that runs six deep on the 53-man roster following the offseason departure of Mike Evans. Neither has missed a game that counted in the standings, but both had been sidelined or severely limited for several weeks. The Buccaneers do not have to submit an official injury report until Wednesday, so no formal participation designation was available.
Running back Sean Tucker did not take part in the drills open to media viewing. “He’s still rehabbing and he’ll be a game-time decision right now,” Bowles said.
First-round pick Rueben Bain Jr., the Miami pass rusher selected 15th overall, is expected to suit up for the opener against the Cincinnati Bengals after returning from a shoulder issue that pulled him from a joint practice in Jacksonville. “We were expecting him to play,” Bowles said. “He said he’s feeling good, so we’re going to roll with that.”
Tampa Bay also bolstered its roster earlier in the week by claiming cornerback Kevin Knowles off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs, beating out the Chicago Bears in the claiming order. Knowles, a former Florida State standout, played 13 games as a rookie and tied for the Chiefs’ lead with eight solo kick-coverage tackles. Bowles said Knowles fills a specific need after gunner Josh Hayes was placed on injured reserve and must miss a minimum of four games. Hayes led the Bucs with 15 kick-coverage stops in 2025 and recorded the team’s only forced fumble on special teams.
“[He’s a] heck of a special teams player,” Bowles said of Knowles. “With [Josh] Hayes down, we’re probably short a gunner. He’s a very good gunner, a very good kickoff guy.”
The Buccaneers reviewed roughly 1,000 players on the waiver wire after all 32 teams cut rosters to 53 but initially passed, with 24 waiver claims made by 14 teams on the first transaction wire. Bowles said the team did not see a reason for “a total overhaul” before Knowles became available a day later when Kansas City needed to clear roster spots after claiming two players of its own, including rookie outside linebacker Jack Pyburn, whom Tampa Bay had waived. When asked how many wins a strong special teams unit can produce in a season, Bowles answered, “Three to four.” One more win in 2025 would have put the Bucs in the playoffs.
Linebacker Christian Rozeboom remains out with a foot injury, and Bowles said he is uncertain whether Rozeboom will be ready for the Week One matchup against Cincinnati. Offensive tackle Benjamin Chukwuma and rookie guard Billy Schrauth returned to practice after missing time, while tackle Justin Skule remained sidelined. The Buccaneers will release their first official injury report Wednesday ahead of the opener.