In a week where it seems every major NFL story has been rooted in controversy, Buccaneers second-year wide receiver Emeka Egbuka flooded social media timelines for a positive reason Thursday.
Egbuka made a dazzling one-handed catch for a touchdown during the Buccaneers’ scrimmage on the first day of OTAs on Tuesday.
We know y'all have been waiting for this one… THE Emeka catch 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/DLs0ax2O8l
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) May 28, 2026
Emeka Egbuka’s Viral OTA Catch Could Signal a Big Year 2 Leap
On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ official social media accounts posted a video of the catch and score. The post has received more than 1 million views on both Instagram and X. That number does not account for the plethora of major outlets and fan accounts that reposted the video.
The catch created buzz on social media even before it was posted on the Buccaneers’ official accounts on Thursday. Numerous reporters tweeted about the catch on Tuesday, but nobody had video because the play occurred after the media’s allotted video window.
Safe to say the play lived up to the hype.
Top play today was a leaping one-handed, juggling grab by second-year wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in 11-on-11s. Deep ball over the middle and drew a ton of cheers, ooooohs and ahhhhhs from teammates. During a portion of practice we couldn’t film, but I’m hopeful the team will post
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) May 26, 2026
Why Emeka Egbuka Could Be Poised for a Big Sophomore Season
The spectacular catch on the first day of OTAs could be a tone-setter for Egbuka this season.
Egbuka heads into his second NFL season with high expectations. Last season, he led the Buccaneers with 63 receptions, 938 receiving yards, and six touchdown catches. Egbuka also ranked second among NFL rookies in all three categories.
However, much of Egbuka’s production came early in the 2025 season. Of his 938 receiving yards, 677 came during the team’s first nine games. Egbuka did not record a touchdown catch and averaged just 32.7 receiving yards per game during the Buccaneers’ final eight contests.
Egbuka’s dip in production came in part because of a lingering hamstring injury suffered during the Buccaneers’ Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers.
He will look to put together a more complete season in an expanded role in 2026.
Egbuka, along with the rest of Tampa Bay’s receiving corps, will look to fill the Hall of Fame-sized void left by Mike Evans’ departure in free agency this offseason. It will mark the first time since the 2013 season that Tampa Bay’s offense will not feature Evans catching passes. Evans is the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches.
Egbuka will also be playing a different role in new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s offense. Robinson stated earlier this month that Egbuka will play the “Z” receiver position this season. The role allows Egbuka to line up off the line of scrimmage, giving Robinson the ability to use him in motion more frequently. Other examples of NFL “Z” receivers include Ja’Marr Chase, Terry McLaurin, and Deebo Samuel.
The Buccaneers hope Egbuka can make the same type of second-year leap as other standout receivers in franchise history. Evans increased his receiving yard total by 155 yards in his second season, while Chris Godwin improved his output by 317 yards in Year 2.
If Emeka Egbuka’s breathtaking play from the opening day of OTAs is any indication, he appears ready to take that second-year leap in Tampa Bay’s offense.
