The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dealt with injury issues all season. It only became an issue when they started losing.
The second half of the season has been all about losing for the Buccaneers, and now they’re dealing with another loss after starting offensive guard Ben Bredeson was placed on injured reserve after he hurt his knee in a loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 14.
The Buccaneers have a quick turnaround in Week 15 as they face the Atlanta Falcons in a critical NFC South Division matchup on Thursday Night Football. Tampa Bay is 7-6 overall and has dropped into a tie for first place with the Carolina Panthers after loosing 3 of their last 4 games.
“Bucs placed G Ben Bredeson on injured reserve with a knee injury and promoted LB Nick Jackson to the active roster from the team’s practice squad,” Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account on Tuesday, September 9. “Also signed OLB Jason Pierre-Paul to the practice squad.”
Bredeson signed a 3-year, $22 million free agent contract with the Buccaneers in March after starting all 17 games in 2024. He has started all 11 games he’s played in for Tampa Bay this season but missed 2 games with a hamstring injury.
“Bucs’ long year of offensive line injuries continues — Ben Bredeson joins Cody Mauch as starting guards on injured reserve,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account. “They’ll likely continue to rely on Mike Jordan and Dan Feeney, who both started this season as practice squad players.”
Injuries Have Defined Buccaneer OL in 2025
Bredeson and Mauch aren’t the only ones on the Tampa Bay offensive line who have dealt with injuries this season. NFL All-Pro left offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs has missed 4 games, including the loss to the Saints, and right offensive tackle Luke Goedeke missed 6 games with a foot injury.
Of the 5 projected starting offensive linemen, only center Graham Barton has played in every game, including 2 starts at left offensive tackle early in the season with Wirfs out following preseason knee surgery.
Buccaneers May Have Overpaid for Bredeson
Bredeson’s payday came after he played 2024 on a 1-year, $3 million contract and was one of the NFL’s worst players at his position with a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 56.2, putting him 93rd out of 135 eligible players at his position.
From ESPN: “The Bucs signed Bredeson to a one-year deal last year worth $3 million. A fourth-round draft pick out of Michigan in 2020, Bredeson became the starter at left guard by default because Sua Opeta, whom they signed to compete with him, suffered a torn ACL in training camp.”
In relative terms, Bredeson’s deal was a shocker because, according to Spotrac, Bredeson’s projected market value was in the range of a 1-year, $1.1 million contract — meaning the Buccaneers paid almost 8 times what the rest of the NFL would have likely paid for him.
Bredeson, 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, only started 9 games for the New York Giants over his first 3 seasons before the 2020 fourth round pick started 16 games in 2023 before signing with the Buccaneers.
Now, the only hope for Bredeson is a return for the playoffs — if the Buccaneers even make the playoffs.
Buccaneers Get Bad Injury News Before Facing Falcons