One day before a key Week 10 showdown with the New England Patriots, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers revealed some massive injury news, announcing that they’ve officially reinstated right tackle Luke Goedeke.
A 2022 second-round pick (No. 57 overall) out of Central Michigan, Goedeke worked his way from a rookie guard role into a locked-in right tackle, playing 100% of offensive snaps in 2023 and 2024, earning a significant four-year, $90 million contract extension at the start of the NFL season.
Unfortunately, he was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) on Sept. 18 after aggravating a foot injury in Week 2.
While he won’t be available for Sunday’s contest, his eventual return will give QB Baker Mayfield’s offense a much-needed jolt up front.
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Tampa Bay’s offense has been undercut all season by attrition. Right guard Cody Mauch’s knee injury was ruled season-ending in September, veteran wideout Mike Evans was placed on IR after fracturing his collarbone in late October, and Chris Godwin has missed multiple games with a fibula issue.
With Mayfield operating without his usual top targets and with interior-line depth tested, re-establishing the tackle tandem — now bookended by Tristan Wirfs and Goedeke when healthy — meaningfully improves pass-protection and the run game.
For a team sitting near the top of the NFC at 6-2, that stability matters in close divisional games down the stretch.
Read More: Commanders Get Promising Update on Jayden Daniels’ Return Timeline
Mayfield’s 2025 season to date has been a continuation of the resurgence he engineered in Tampa Bay last year.
Through eight games, he has 1,919 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, and just two interceptions, completing 63.9% of his passes with a 98.1 passer rating.
What’s even more impressive is that he’s done all of that while missing consistent chemistry with injured receivers.
Next up comes the Patriots on Sunday, who arrive with a 7-2 record (first place in AFC East), but will be without key offensive pieces of their own, including RB Rhamondre Stevenson and WR Kayshon Boutte.
The Buccaneers are listed as 2.5-point favorites with a 48.5-over/under in what is being viewed as one of the biggest games of the Week 10 NFL slate.
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