The first of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' anticipated second-half reinforcements may be on his way back to game action.
As they returned to work following their Week Nine bye, the Buccaneers designated starting right tackle Luke Goedeke as returning to practice. Goedeke has been on injured reserve since Week Three and has already missed more than the required minimum of four games before he could go back to the active roster. The fourth-year lineman, who signed a new long-term contract extension on the eve of the regular season, first suffered a foot injury in Week One then aggravated it in Week Two against the New York Jets.
The Buccaneers were scheduled to hold a bonus walk-through on Monday before resuming a typical game week on Wednesday. The team has now opened a 21-day window for Goedeke in which he can practice without counting against the 53-man roster limit. He can be activated at any time during that window and thus is theoretically eligible to return to action as soon as the Buccaneers' Week 10 matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
A second-round draft pick in 2022, Goedeke has played in 43 games with 40 starts, the last 33 of which have come at right tackle. The Buccaneers initially tried Goedeke at left guard in his rookie season but switched him back to his college position of right tackle in 2023, since when he has blossomed into one of the best young players in the NFL at his position. In his absence, sixth-year veteran Charlie Heck has started the past six games at right tackle.
Goedeke is one of nine players currently on the Buccaneers' injured reserve list. While some of those – including defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, guard Cody Mauch, tight end Ko Kieft and outside linebacker David Walker – are out for the season, Goedeke is one of a handful of injured Buccaneers, both on and off IR, who could return to help the team in the second-half stretch run. That group includes wide receivers Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan and running back Bucky Irving. Tampa Bay is tied for the best record in the NFC at 6-2 and would be the second seed in the conference field if the playoffs started today.
