After the 19-20 win against the Texans in Week 2, the Bucs will look to secure a 3-0 start to the season for the first time since 2005. However, much to coach Todd Bowles’ frustration, it won’t be an easy task. Injuries and recent hits have been a major hurdle for Tampa Bay, leaving the offensive line dangerously thin. For that end, the Bucs have already begun making changes to fill the void, and hope may soon arrive in the form of a veteran guard.

As per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman’s report, the Bucs will soon have a workout session. “More potential OL help: Bucs will have a workout Thursday, and veteran guard Sua Opeta, one of their final cuts last month, will be among those in attendance,” he wrote on X. And if Sua Opeta makes the roster again, his experience could be a big help for the team.

Just weeks ago, the Buccaneers’ offensive line appeared healthy and deep heading into the preseason. Right before their first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, the Bucs had signed Opeta. After going undrafted in 2019, he joined the Eagles and spent four years as a reserve lineman. His most notable run came in 2022, when he started seven games at guard.

Later, the Weber State product joined the Buccaneers in 2024, but he lost the opportunity due to his torn ACL. Although he wasn’t expected to earn a starting role this season, he was brought in to add depth to the roster during training camp. Now, this is something the Bucs are in dire need of right now. If Opeta performs well in the workout session, Tampa Bay will be in a stronger position to extend its winning streak.

The Bucs’ offense was expected to be one of the team’s strengths this year, especially with all 11 starters returning from last season. Yet, problems have surfaced with quarterback Baker Mayfield and the offense struggling, while the defense has carried most of the load. “(We have a) ton of room to grow, and we haven’t played not even close to good,” Mayfield shared about the issues and stressed improvements.

“We’ve had some good plays here and there… [We] scored when we needed to [and] wins, we’ll always take those, but yeah, offensively, we just need to be more consistent. That’s what we try and say is the standard around here – we have to be able to be explosive [and] score a lot of points, and consistency is the main thing,” he told the reporters on Wednesday.

And now, the offensive line is hit with yet another major injury.

The Bucs are hit with a major injury

Even with a win, Week 2 carried a bitter note for the Buccaneers as two key players went down with injuries. Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey sustained a season-ending torn pectoral, while right tackle Luke Goedeke will miss several weeks after his foot injury flared up again. As if that wasn’t enough, the situation worsened with right guard Cody Mauch‘s injury.

After missing Monday’s walkthrough, Greg Auman reported that Mauch suffered a season-ending knee injury that will require surgery. So, now, the Buccaneers are down to three of their five starting offensive linemen. Another issue is that the other two players are in different positions.

Center Graham Barton has been moved to left tackle, while Guard Ben Bredeson is filling in at center, and practice-squad call-up Michael Jordan is stepping in at left guard. To help stabilize the group, Tampa Bay is also reportedly, according to online reports, adding veteran lineman Dan Feeney from the Bills’ practice squad.

While the path ahead appears challenging for the Bucs, the team will lean on its tough mentality that it showed in the last two games for the troubles.