Another week, another wild, last-minute win for the Buccaneers, who took down the Seahawks, 38-35, on Sunday. Just as incredibly, it was also another huge game for rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka, who has done more in his first five NFL games than any other rookie receiver in NFL history.
“He’s kind of one-of-one,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said after Sunday’s win at Seattle, which saw Egbuka go for 163 yards and a touchdown with seven catches on seven targets.
That he did it so close to home in his native Washington, continuing to help the Bucs survive with their best receivers injured, only added to the legend.
“Meka had a homecoming today,” coach Todd Bowles said. “He continues to amaze and compete and do the things that everybody has seen him do like he did in college, and again, he was outstanding.”
In five games, Egbuka has 25 catches for 445 yards and five touchdowns — leading the team in all three. His receiving yards and touchdown catches are more than double that of his closest teammates. Eguka leads all NFL rookies in all three stats as well.
The 2025 Bucs are the first NFL team ever to win four of their five games all by three points or less, and Egbuka has been central in all the comeback wins.
“Time and time again, it happens,” Egbuka said after the game. “I forget the saying. It’s like, one time is luck, the second time’s a fluke, the third time it’s the real deal. I think this is the fourth two-minute drive we’ve had this year, out of five games. The NFL is down to the wire a lot of the time. I’m glad to have a quarterback who has the capability, and Baker has that capability.”
Egbuka, taken 19th overall out of Ohio State, was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month for September, and he’s off to a strong start in October, outplaying the league’s rookie quarterbacks and running backs to become a legit Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner. Here are Egbuka’s notable contributions in each of the Buccaneers’ first five games:
- Week 1 at Falcons: Egbuka catches two touchdowns, the latter with 59 seconds left for the lead.
- Week 2 at Texans: Egbuka catches a touchdown early as the Bucs win with six seconds left.
- Week 3 vs. Jets: Egbuka has a team-high 85 yards, including a 28-yarder to help set up game-winning kick as time expired.
- Week 4 vs. Eagles: Egbuka has 101 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown as the Bucs tried to rally from a 24-3 deficit.
- Week 5 at Seahawks: Egbuka goes for 163 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown and a 57-yard catch to the 2.
The Buccaneers are 4-1 regardless of accidents all around the area, together with receiver, the place their prime three from final season have missed a mixed 10 video games. Mike Evans has missed two video games, Chris Godwin missed three and Jalen McMillan has but to play as a consequence of a neck damage. Tampa Bay did not know most of that was forward when it drafted Egbuka — doing so as an alternative of addressing extra obvious positional wants — as a result of it beloved him not simply as a participant, however as an individual. Lengthy earlier than he was successful video games for the Bucs, he had drawn constant reward for a mature demeanor {and professional} method, not what you anticipate from a 22-year-old.
Emeka Egbuka was capable of get by the Eagles’ protection for a protracted landing seize within the Buccaneers’ Week 4 loss. (Picture by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Photos)
“He is well-rounded and never simply in soccer, in life,” Mayfield mentioned. “I believe he is grounded, and I believe he is simply real in every little thing he does. He is intentional. You simply do not see that always, and particularly as a rookie with the expertise that he has, you actually do not see it typically.”
Egbuka’s prolific begin has put him in elite firm, traditionally. The one different receivers with 20-plus catches, 400-plus yards and 5 touchdowns of their first 5 video games are Ja’Marr Chase (2021), Terry McLaurin (2019) and Randy Moss (1998). He has sufficient yards that he is on tempo to interrupt Puka Nacua’s NFL rookie document of 1,486 yards, and his touchdown-a-game tempo would match Moss’ NFL rookie document of 17 landing catches, albeit with yet another sport than Moss.
Egbuka left Ohio State as the varsity’s profession chief in receptions, and he was surrounded by NFL expertise whereas in Columbus, enjoying with Marvin Harrison, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams and a future NFL star in Jeremiah Smith. He went head-to-head with Smith-Njigba, an in depth buddy, on Sunday and left with the victory.
Former Ohio State stars Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka caught up after each confirmed out in Sunday’s Buccaneers-Seahawks sport. (Picture by Soobum Im/Getty Photos)
He has managed to do all this with relative humility, too. He did slow-walk into the top zone on his landing towards the Eagles whereas the Buccaneers had been trailing by 18 factors, however in any other case, Egbuka has proven a uncommon selflessness in not solely his success however how he is dealt with the highlight.
“I do not enter any seasons of my life with too many expectations with regards to statistics or something,” he mentioned. “Actually, I am simply attempting to honor and glorify God, be obedient to no matter it’s he is referred to as me to. I really feel like he has me in Tampa for a cause, and that function is greater than soccer, I consider. So simply attempting to make use of my platform to have the ability to influence individuals any manner I can.”
The Bucs performed Sunday with out Evans, main rusher Bucky Irving, McMillan and two beginning offensive linemen, and as they get wholesome, they will be higher outfitted to win video games with time left on the clock and keep away from the wild finishes they’ve had to this point. Egbuka has been the surprising star of their 4-1 begin, nevertheless it is not stunning to those that know him greatest.
“It is the entire bundle,” Bowles mentioned. “It is his mentality. It is his bodily make-up. It is his willingness to work. It is his intelligence. It is his athleticism. He is simply a type of guys. He has your complete make-up and your complete bundle, and that is laborious to get, and that is laborious to see in a rookie.”
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade protecting the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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