We are less than a month away from the Cincinnati Bengals opening the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As teams continue their training camps and preseason schedule, all eyes will soon turn to the games that count, and for these two teams, that date is September 13th.
The Bengals have been relatively lucky on the injury front this training camp, aside from the uncertainty surrounding Shemar Stewart’s hyperextended knee. Per a report on Monday, though, Tampa Bay could be without one of their star players.
Second-year wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is dealing with a toe injury that has his status in doubt for Week 1.
Todd Bowles said Emeka Egbuka is “day-to-day, week-to-week” with a toe sprain.
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) August 17, 2026
When asked if it could affect Week 1 availability, Bowles said he could not say at this time. pic.twitter.com/lyt3yMCSyD
While head coach Todd Bowles didn’t rule Egbuka out, he sounded less than certain that their star receiver will be ready to go for Week 1. Egbuka had 938 yards and six touchdowns last season, and with Mike Evans now with the San Francisco 49ers, Egbuka will likely be their top receiving option going forward.
Obviously, you never want to see players missing games for injury, but if Egbuka can’t suit up to start the season, that likely changes the Bengals’ defensive game plan quite a bit.