The good news for Bucs wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is that he has been medically cleared to play against the Bears in Chicago on Sunday Night Football, and he will be in the starting lineup.

Now the big question is, how productive can he be in his return to action?

Egbuka has been anything but productive this season in Tampa Bay and has not lived up to expectations in his second year in red and pewter. Missing the last two games due to injury hasn’t helped.

Egbuka overcame a slight concussion he suffered against Pittsburgh in Week 6 to practice last week prior to Tampa Bay’s 16-0 win over Atlanta, but he wasn’t ready to play due to a foot injury he suffered against the Steelers.

Now that Egbuka is back in the starting lineup, he needs to get back to playing like a starter because his pedestrian production this year has been that of a backup receiver – not a player that Tampa Bay invested a first-round pick in during the 2025 NFL Draft.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Adam Warren/PR

After a rookie season that saw Egbuka lead the Bucs in catches (63), yards (938) and touchdowns (six), the Ohio State product has been a huge disappointment in his second season in Tampa Bay. Egbuka does lead the team 28 catches and is three yards behind 30-year-old Chris Godwin Jr. with 240 yards, and he does have a team-high two touchdowns. But that production is absolutely pathetic when comparing him to other No. 1 receivers around the NFL.

Egbuka, who is averaging a paltry 8.6 yards per catch after averaging 15.8 yards per catch last year, is on pace to record 70 catches for 600 yards and five touchdowns if he maintains his current averages over the final nine games of the season, including the Bucs’ Sunday Night game versus the Bears.

Why Hasn’t Emeka Egbuka Been Productive In Year 2 With The Bucs?

The Bucs have the league’s worst-ranked passing attack this year, and part of that is due to the massive amount of success that the team has found on the ground with the NFL’s top-rated running game. Tampa Bay is averaging 168.6 yards per game on the ground, but only 131.4 yards per game through the air.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s passing scheme needs to take some of the blame for Emeka Egbuka’s decline in production as Robinson’s routes are too short and shallow and the passing attack lacks a necessary vertical element.

Egbuka is at his best when he catches the ball on the move on slants, crossers, skinny posts and go routes. When he catches the ball on quick hooks, hitches and out routes near the sidelines those routes rob him of the ability to get yards after catch. So, some of the blame lies at Robinson’s feet because Egbuka is not being used to the best of his abilities.

Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Egbuka has only been credited with one drop this year per Pro Football Focus, which came at Dallas, but he has been out of sync in the passing game with Baker Mayfield, especially in the Browns game where he didn’t even extend and dive for a low pass in the end zone that could have been the game-winner on fourth down. There have been some issues with not running routes precisely and being at his landmarks on time.

And the production we saw from Egbuka during the first half of his rookie season when he had three 100-yard games and six touchdowns is nowhere to be found. It’s been a full calendar year since Egbuka has had a 100-yard game, and that’s way too long for a guy with first-round draft credentials.

Emeka Egbuka’s Rookie Season – 2025

Week 1 at Atlanta – 4 catches, 67 yards (16.8 avg.), 2 TDs
Week 2 at Houston – 4 catches, 29 yards (7.3 avg.), TD
Week 3 vs. NY Jets – 6 catches, 85 yards (14.2 avg.)
Week 4 vs. Philadelphia – 4 catches, 101 yards (25.3 avg.), TD
Week 5 at Seattle – 7 catches, 163 yards (23.3 avg.), TD
Week 6 vs. San Francisco – 2 catches, 24 yards (12 avg.)
Week 7 at Detroit – 4 catches, 58 yards (14.5 avg.)
Week 8 at New Orleans – 3 catches, 35 yards (11.7 avg.)
Week 10 vs. New England – 6 catches, 115 yards (19.2 avg.), TD

Week 11 at Buffalo – 5 catches, 40 yards (8.0 avg.)
Week 12 at LA Rams – 3 catches, 32 yards (10.7 avg.)
Week 13 vs. Arizona – 4 catches, 42 yards (10.5 avg.)
Week 14 vs. New Orleans – 2 catches, 15 yards (7.5 avg.)
Week 15 vs. Atlanta – 4 catches, 64 yards (16 avg.)
Week 16 at Carolina – 1 catch, 40 yards (40 avg.)
Week 17 at Miami – 3 catches, 20 yards (6.7 avg.)
Week 18 vs. Carolina – 1 catch, 8 yards (8.0 avg.)

Emeka Egbuka’s Second Season – 2026

Week 1 at Cincinnati – 6 catches, 63 yards (12.6 avg.)
Week 2 vs. Cleveland – 3 catches, 16 yards (5.3 avg.), TD
Week 3 vs. Minnesota – 5 catches, 62 yards (12.4 avg.)
Week 4 vs. Green Bay – 2 catches, 13 yards (6.5 avg.)
Week 5 at Dallas – 6 catches, 38 yards (6.3 avg.), rushing TD
Week 6 vs. Pittsburgh – 7 catches, 48 yards (6.9 avg.), TD
Week 7 at Carolina – OUT
Week 8 vs. Atlanta – OUT

Egbuka dealt with a hamstring issue last year but played through it. And he had more targets and opportunities when Chris Godwin Jr. and Mike Evans were out of the lineup due to injuries. And when Evans and Godwin returned to action down the stretch, in addition to Jalen McMillan coming off injured reserve late in the season, Egbuka got lost in the crowd.

After potentially being the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a 1,000-yard receiver, Egbuka’s limited production down the stretch robbed him of those opportunities when he hit the rookie wall and never recovered.

Bucs WRs Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. – IMAGN Images

The reality is that Egbuka is truly a No. 2 receiver – not a real No. 1 alpha-type receiver. He’s way more like Godwin – a chain-mover – than he is Evans – a big-play weapon.

And the problem is that this Bucs offense lacks an alpha right now with Evans’ departure, so Egbuka is the No. 1 wide receiver by default this year. His skillset is not built to be that type of receiver on a game in, game out basis, but even Godwin had his share of 100-yard games, yet those came playing opposite Evans. Egbuka’s full potential might not be realized until next year when the Bucs land the alpha receiver that is missing – whether that comes in free agency or the 2027 NFL Draft.

However, that doesn’t mean Egbuka can’t more productive this year, and he will have to be more productive down the stretch if this team wants to continue to climb out of its 0-4 hole and rally to win the NFC South, potentially with eight or nine wins. Egbuka will have to do his part by working harder to get open and not dropping catchable passes, and Robinson will have to do his part in giving Egbuka more routes where he can use his 6-foot-1, 210-pound size to get yards after catch.

Bucs WRs Emeka Egbuka and Ted Hurst III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Egbuka is not the fastest receiver in the league but does have 4.45 speed. Yet he’s struggled to separate from man coverage while excelling in finding holes in zone coverage in his first two seasons in Tampa Bay. With Egbuka missing a month’s worth of action in the preseason due to a turf toe injury perhaps that has robbed him of some burst at the start of the season. Now recovering from a foot injury – that is not related to his previous toe injury – will that continue to limit Egbuka’s explosiveness?

We’ll find out on Sunday night in Chicago and the rest of his sophomore season.