Another season, another O.J. Howard effort to get back to 100 percent.

It’s been a tiring journey for the former Bucs first-round pick, one that has spanned the four years of his NFL career. Start to blossom and break out as a player, get set back by injury.

Bucs fans don’t need to be reminded of the details, the latest of which was Howard tearing his Achilles in Week 4 of the 2020 season.

This return from injury will be Howard’s greatest endeavor yet. A torn Achilles is one of the few common sports injuries that carries significant question marks with its recovery. Thanks to one of the best medical teams in the NFL, Howard seems to have navigated the rehab process with relative ease. After sitting out the first few days of training camp, the big 6-foot-6 tight end has been a full participant for the majority of practices.

Bucs HC Bruce Arians – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Yeah, he’s where he needs to be, he’s just got to get in shape, football shape,” head coach Bruce Arians said on Saturday. “Getting hit and things like that – he got knocked down when a guy was being blocked because he should have knocked the shit out of that guy and practiced that way. So it’s just getting back into hitting. As far as physical, he’s fine; it’s just playing football.”

Howard is undoubtedly grateful that his body isn’t failing him on the field. At 26 years old, injuries have been the primary obstacle keeping him from living up to his first round status. A 565-yard, five-touchdown sophomore season was waylaid by foot and ankle injuries after 10 games.

In 2019, Howard battled nagging injuries and learning a new offense before impressing in 2020 with two touchdowns in the first four games. But before he could build on the promise of his best two games in Arians’ system in Weeks 3 and 4, Howard’s Achilles popped on a non-contact injury.

“I know the offense so there was no need for me to go out there and run the plays that I kind of already know,” Howard said on sitting out the first few days of camp. “I know the mental part is a big thing, so participating in the walk-through was huge for me. My conditioning level is really good right now, but getting into football shape is different. We’re getting it in, but we’re being smart about it. The most important thing for us is September 9 and playing weeks after that.”

To put it bluntly, Howard has not been sharp during 2021 Bucs training camp. He’s been overwhelmed as a blocker on more than one occasion, especially in the run game. Jason Pierre-Paul knocked him into the backfield with a thunderous punch on Friday, resulting in a tackle-for-loss. And that’s just one example of the run game reps that have left a lot to be desired.

In the passing game, Howard has been more of a mixed bag. He’s made some plays down the field and it’s very clear his athleticism hasn’t lost a beat. Howard can still outrun almost every linebacker and most safeties, making him a match-up nightmare. The Alabama product torched rookie LB Grant Stuard down the seam on Monday, hauling in a rope from Tom Brady for a big gain.

Bucs TE OJ Howard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But Howard’s ball skills as a receiver have left a lot to be desired. He’s dropped more passes than any other receiver in camp, and he’s failed to come up with a few semi-tough catches in live team periods. On Monday, Howard dropped a perfectly thrown corner route from Brady on air as he approached the boundary. Later in practice, Howard couldn’t come up with a tough catch around Kevin Minter in the end zone. After stealing the show with an outstanding training camp in 2020, Howard has been maddeningly inconsistent this year.

“He’s getting back. He’s not there yet,” Arians said. “He had a chance to make a couple grimy chances in the end zone today [and] didn’t come up with them. I expect him to make those. He’s still catching up to the speed of it and the physicality of it. He’s been out a long time, so he needs this camp.”

The Bucs probably aren’t worried about Howard yet. There’s still a month to go until the regular season, and it’s understandable that he’s still shaking off the rust. But Howard’s four-year career has been a circle much like this one. Ball out, suffer a setback, slowly return to form.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

This cycle isn’t all or even mostly Howard’s fault. But in a contract year – the Bucs picked up his fifth-year option – the reality is that it doesn’t matter how he got here anymore. The only thing that matters is what trajectory he’s on right now. After more than two weeks of training camp, the jury is still out on whether Howard’s fifth year will finally be the breakout season Bucs fans have waited for.