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Emeka Egbuka #2 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It seemed like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had 1 of the NFL’s best wide receivers in 2025 1st round pick Emeka Egbuka through the 1st half of his rookie season.

That was before Egbuka hit a rookie wall and saw the NFL Offensive Player of the Year trophy slip through his hands … and into the welcoming arms of NFC South Division rival and Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Headed into Year 2, it appears Egbuka’s focus is already razor-sharp after his 1-handed catch at OTAs went viral on Thursday.

“We know y’all have been waiting for this one,” the Buccaneers wrote on their official X account on Thursday.

“Emeka Egbuka made the play of the day during the Buccaneers’ first OTA,” Bucs GameDay’s Logan Robinson wrote on his official X account. “Egbuka ran a crossing route over the middle and caught a pass behind him with one hand before continuing upfield in stride for what could have been a huge gain.”

“Very EARLY in the first OTA, Emeka Egbuka did THIS!” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account on Thursday.

“Elite: Bucs star WR Emeka Egbuka makes an INSANE one-handed catch with EASE at practice,” NFL influencer Dov Kleiman wrote on their official X account. “This kid is NOT HUMAN.”

“Emeka Egbuka made the Catch of the Summer,” Barstool Sports wrote on its official X account. 

“Emeka Egbuka made the play of the day during the Buccaneers’ first OTA,” Bucs GameDay’s Logan Robinson wrote on his official X account. “Egbuka ran a crossing route over the middle and caught a pass behind him with one hand before continuing upfield in stride for what could have been a huge gain.”

Emeka Egbuka Blamed Fired OC for Struggles

Egbuka tried to shift the blame for his late-season struggles — and his team’s — to fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard during an appearance on the “Up and Adams Show” with Kay Adams on May 9.

The Buccaneers started the season 5-1 before stumbling to an 8-9 finish and missing the playoffs for the 1st time since 2019. Grizzard was fired and replaced by Zac Robinson, who had just been fired as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons.

“We fell into a little bit of a lull as an entire offense,” Egbuka said. “We got a new offensive coordinator, so we’re ready to put all those pieces together.”

Egbuka Disappeared Down Stretch for Buccaneers

Egbuka, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, led the Buccaneers with 63 receptions for 938 yards and 6 touchdowns as a rookie.

No one was more emblematic of the Buccaneers’ struggles down the stretch than Egbuka. Through the 1st 9 games of the season, he had 40 receptions for 677 yards and 6 touchdowns and was the odds-on favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

In the final 8 games of the regular season, Egbuka had 23 receptions for 261 yards and no touchdowns, including 3 games with 20 or fewer receiving yards.

Egbuka had his worst game of the year in the regular-season finale against McMillan and the Panthers with 1 reception for 8 yards.

“After Week 11, Emeka Egbuka was the -120 betting favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year,” Covers wrote on its official X account January 13. “After voting, he won’t even be a finalist for the award.”