There were a lot of things that went wrong for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025. Injuries to key players, such as right guard Cody Mauch, wide receiver Mike Evans, running back Bucky Irving, and defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, to name a few, affected Tampa Bay’s push to the postseason. Those playoff hopes officially came to an end in Week 18 after an Atlanta Falcons victory over the New Orleans Saints gave the Carolina Panthers the edge in a three-way tiebreaker atop the NFC South.

But looking at where their problems truly began, you’d have to go back to Week 2 on a Monday night in Houston. The Buccaneers defeated the Texans 20-19, but that would be the final time Kancey and Mauch would play a down of football in 2025. That night, Kancey suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Mauch suffered a torn patella in his knee.

Mauch’s injury didn’t grab headlines nationally but make no mistake, it was arguably the biggest injury of the season for the Buccaneers. That’s why it was so good to see Mauch back in uniform for Day 1 of OTAs at the AdventHealth Training Center on Tuesday.

Mauch was not only present but participated in full. After practice concluded, Mauch addressed the local media. He declared his rehab officially finished.

“It was really tough right away because I had never missed a single snap due to injury in my career, like high school, college, so I was new to it. It was weird to be watching the guys from the training room window when they’re all practicing and stuff,” Mauch said. “So, it was tough early on, but then you just kind of get into a routine.

“You gotta know, especially early on with that surgery, you gotta be really conscious about your diet because you’re not doing a whole lot. You’re doing upper body, maybe, but you’re not doing any running, no leg workouts, so I had to be really conscious about my diet. I think it was a good thing because now I can kind of continue that process I had because I put on a little bit of weight, but it’s been good weight, and I feel good with it.”

Cody Mauch, Entire Bucs’ O-Line Is Finally Healthy

With Cody Mauch sidelined for a majority of the 2025 season after his injury in the team’s Week 2 win at Houston, the Buccaneers were forced to run out several different offensive line combinations. Aside from Mauch, All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs missed five games, including the first three games of the season. Left guard Ben Bredeson also missed six games with a hamstring injury and later a knee injury that resulted in him being placed on injured reserve.

Bucs RG Cody Mauch and WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

The Buccaneers starting offensive line of Wirfs, Bredeson, Graham Barton, Mauch, and Luke Goedeke never took a single snap together in 2025. In 2024, that unit largely stayed intact for most of the season, and the Buccaneers had one of the best offenses in football.

With its offensive line in disarray, the Buccaneers struggled to run the ball this past season, and the offense ranked 20th in EPA. Guards Michael Jordan and Dan Feeney were forced into starting roles; Bredeson and Mauch, they were not, understandably so. That starting unit was back together – healthy – on Tuesday.

“Really nice,” Mauch said of having a healthy offensive line to begin OTAs. “We didn’t get a single snap last year where we all played together. 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 gonna be huge this offseason and, hopefully, we all stay healthy and whatnot, but just finally getting some reps together again. Really excited about that.”

Cody Mauch Is Bigger – And Hopefully Better – In 2026

The last time the Buccaneers had a fully healthy Cody Mauch on the field, he was showing signs of becoming one of the best guards in the NFL. In 2024, he earned a stellar 74.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. Now entering his fourth season with the Buccaneers, Mauch comes into OTAs with more weight on him.

Though the Buccaneers’ website has him listed at 303 pounds, Mauch called it a “scam.” Last season, he played between 313-315 pounds, he said. This season, he’s up to 325 pounds.

“We’ll see how that goes out here, especially with Zac [Robinson’s] scheme with all the running that we’re going to be doing,” Mauch said. “As long as the weight, I don’t lose a step in terms of that, and I’m excited to see how that plays out especially when we start to get into some of the gap scheme, pads on, more power rushes, and see how that weight holds up.”

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke and RG Cody Mauch – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

This season is going to be an important one for Mauch. He’s entering the final year of his four-year rookie deal with the franchise and could command a huge payday if his play resembles that of 2024.

But right now, most importantly for Mauch is getting back on the field with his teammates and staying on it for the duration of the 2026 campaign. After watching from the sidelines for the first time in his career last season, Mauch is determined to get back to his former self after a very challenging seven months away from the field.

“It’s weird that the last time I was on this field with a helmet on was September. That just seems so long ago,” Mauch said. “I was really, really excited to get back out here today. I just texted my wife, like I was just so happy that my knee felt great and everything, so we were pumped about that.

“I think the biggest thing with the whole rehab process is taking your small wins, and I’m counting today as a really big win.”