TAMPA — The Buccaneers will likely open the 2026 season without wide receiver Jalen McMillan and running back Sean Tucker, both listed as doubtful for the opener in Cincinnati, Head Coach Todd Bowles said after practice Friday.
McMillan has been working back from a knee injury suffered early in training camp, while Tucker sustained a more recent hamstring strain. Tucker did not participate in Wednesday’s practice before getting limited work the following two days. Bowles said neither player experienced a setback but indicated both will likely sit.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who missed several weeks with a toe injury, is “full-go” after participating fully in practice this week, Bowles said. Rookie Ted Hurst would be in line for increased snaps if McMillan is out. “It’s the things you saw in the preseason,” Bowles said of Hurst. “It’s invaluable to a rookie because he gets reps and he gets smarter, knows the playbook. We know what his physical skills are but it’s about getting everything down mentally, and he’s done a really good job of that.”
Without Tucker, Tampa Bay would carry only two active running backs — Bucky Irving and free agent addition Kenny Gainwell — against the Bengals. Second-year back Josh Williams, currently on the practice squad after spending time on the active roster last year, could be elevated. “If we have to elevate him, yeah,” Bowles said. “We’ve got a lot of moving parts going that we’ve got to do, so it’s not automatic.”
The Bucs enter the season hoping to recapture their 2024 rushing dominance, when they ran for 149.2 yards per game and a team-record 5.25 yards per carry, ranking fourth and third in the NFL in those categories. That came after eight straight seasons of ranking 24th or worse in rushing yards, including dead last in 2022 and 2023. Tackle Tristan Wirfs said the offensive line is ready to set the tone under new Offensive Coordinator Zac Robinson. “What year was it, 2024? Our run game was something else,” Wirfs said. “Top five. That’s when we’re at our best. Kenny G. coming in, a freak of nature. Bucky’s back — literally a joystick. All these guys. Tuck’s a freak. When Tuck gets downhill it’s hard to stop him. That’s where it starts, and again it starts with us up front.”
Wirfs expressed confidence in Robinson’s scheme, which shares roots with former OC Liam Coen’s system. “In Z-Rob’s new offense I think we’ve got all the pieces to do it,” Wirfs said. “It’s just up to us. We’ve got to go out and execute and start it off.” The Bucs also gave quarterback Baker Mayfield the biggest contract in franchise history and hope to replicate his 2024 production of 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.
On defense, rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter, the 46th overall pick out of Missouri, earned a starting spot over incumbent SirVocea Dennis. “He had a heck of a preseason,” Bowles said. “He came in and he played ball — not only just playing ball, he’s very intelligent. He understood the scheme and he rarely made mistakes. When you get that kind of ballplayer that puts it all together that early, you couldn’t deny him from playing.” Trotter will line up alongside veteran free agent acquisition Alex Anzalone, who was named a team captain. “I think the biggest thing for him was consistency,” Anzalone said of Trotter. “He stepped up and played, and now I’m waiting to see where he takes it. Now the real fun starts.”
The Buccaneers are scheduled to kick off the 2026 regular season against the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday.