Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke is yet another impact player included in a long line of bad luck on the injury front that the Bucs have experienced to open the 2025 season.
The team had to start the season without All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, as he recovered from a knee surgery over the summer, and standout wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. as he continued to work back from a devastating ankle injury that ended his 2024 season prematurely.
Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
The Bucs brass was high on fourth-round draft pick David Walker, but he suffered a torn ACL in training camp and was lost for the season. Ditto for exciting undrafted free agent defensive back J.J. Roberts after he had a stellar performance in the team’s opening preseason game against the Titans.
After an absolute slugfest against the Houston Texans in Week 2 – a hard-fought road win on national television – the Bucs are learning of more bad news related to player health.
After reports surfaced earlier today that defensive lineman Calijah Kancey will likely miss the rest of the season due to a torn pectoral muscle, it is now being reported that while he has avoided a serious injury, Luke Goedeke could miss several weeks with a foot injury that knocked him out of the Texans game early. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN was the first to report the news.
Bucs RT Luke Goedeke avoided major injury Monday night but is expected to miss time, possibly multiple weeks, per sources. The belief is that Goedeke re-aggravated a foot injury he battled during the practice week.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 16, 2025
Luke Goedeke’s Injury The Latest Test For Bucs’ Battered O-Line
Wirfs’ absence has already had rippling effects on the team’s offensive line – a unit that was considered one of their many strengths on paper when everyone is healthy. Rather than leaning on backup swing tackle Charlie Heck like they did last year with Justin Skule, head coach Todd Bowles opted to shuffle the line to start this season.
Center Graham Barton played left tackle in both Weeks 1 and 2, with left guard Ben Bredeson kicking over to center. Both players had played the positions they moved to previously. And Tampa Bay opted to insert Mike Jordan, a journeyman guard who they signed to their practice squad late in training camp, into the starting lineup at left guard in place of Bredeson.
Bucs LG Michael Johnson and LT Graham Barton – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Heck filled in for Goedeke at right tackle after the latter left the game on Monday night. Heck has over 1,400 career snaps on the right side as compared to just under 100 on the left, so it is possible the Bucs feel better about him at right tackle. But now, the Bucs may have to face a formidable New York Jets front that includes quality edge rushers Will McDonald IV and Jermaine Johnson without either of their big-name starting tackles. Or will they?
Tristan Wirfs’ Looming Return: Could He Be Back In Week 3?
Wirfs himself has maintained that Week 5 is his target date to return to the lineup. But he practiced for the first time – on a limited basis – last Thursday. He must have felt good the day after because he was also able to practice Friday as well.
Wirfs has played through injuries lesser men would not have. It may be that his timeline gets fast tracked if his body is responding well to his ramp up plan and he could give it a go this Sunday. The odds are less than 50% on that, but they are also non-zero.
Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
If he can’t go, Heck is the likely right tackle in for Goedeke while the Bucs continue to roll out their shuffled lineup from center to left tackle. But perhaps they look to change things up once again with both tackles down. Rookie Ben Chukwuma had a brilliant preseason, and the team may want to strengthen their interior for quarterback Baker Mayfield while taking an admittedly high-risk on the rookie.
Needless to say, all options may be on the table as the team faces a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation early in the season.