Cody Mauch’s Triumphant Return To Bucs OTAs

There have been lots of issues that went improper for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025. Accidents to key gamers, similar to proper guard Cody Mauch, extensive receiver Mike Evans, operating again Bucky Irving, and defensive deal with Calijah Kancey, to call a number of, affected Tampa Bay’s push to the postseason. These playoff hopes formally got here to an finish in Week 18 after an Atlanta Falcons victory over the New Orleans Saints gave the Carolina Panthers the sting in a three-way tiebreaker atop the NFC South.

However taking a look at the place their issues actually started, you’d have to return to Week 2 on a Monday night time in Houston. The Buccaneers defeated the Texans 20-19, however that will be the ultimate time Kancey and Mauch would play a down of soccer in 2025. That night time, Kancey suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Mauch suffered a torn patella in his knee.

Mauch’s harm didn’t seize headlines nationally however make no mistake, it was arguably the largest harm of the season for the Buccaneers. That’s why it was so good to see Mauch again in uniform for Day 1 of OTAs on the AdventHealth Coaching Heart on Tuesday.

Mauch was not solely current however participated in full. After apply concluded, Mauch addressed the native media. He declared his rehab formally completed.

“It was really tough right away because I had never missed a single snap due to injury in my career, like high school, college, so I was new to it. It was weird to be watching the guys from the training room window when they’re all practicing and stuff,” Mauch mentioned. “So, it was robust early on, however then you definitely simply type of get right into a routine.

“You gotta know, especially early on with that surgery, you gotta be really conscious about your diet because you’re not doing a whole lot. You’re doing upper body, maybe, but you’re not doing any running, no leg workouts, so I had to be really conscious about my diet. I think it was a good thing because now I can kind of continue that process I had because I put on a little bit of weight, but it’s been good weight, and I feel good with it.”

Cody Mauch, Complete Bucs’ O-Line Is Lastly Wholesome

With Cody Mauch sidelined for a majority of the 2025 season after his harm within the workforce’s Week 2 win at Houston, the Buccaneers have been compelled to expire a number of totally different offensive line mixtures. Except for Mauch, All-Professional left deal with Tristan Wirfs missed 5 video games, together with the primary three video games of the season. Left guard Ben Bredeson additionally missed six video games with a hamstring harm and later a knee harm that resulted in him being positioned on injured reserve.

Bucs RG Cody Mauch and WR Emeka Egbuka – Photograph by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

The Buccaneers beginning offensive line of Wirfs, Bredeson, Graham Barton, Mauch, and Luke Goedeke by no means took a single snap collectively in 2025. In 2024, that unit largely stayed intact for many of the season, and the Buccaneers had among the finest offenses in soccer.

With its offensive line in disarray, the Buccaneers struggled to run the ball this previous season, and the offense ranked twentieth in EPA. Guards Michael Jordan and Dan Feeney have been compelled into beginning roles; Bredeson and Mauch, they weren’t, understandably so. That beginning unit was again collectively – wholesome – on Tuesday.

“Really nice,” Mauch mentioned of getting a wholesome offensive line to start OTAs. “We didn’t get a single snap last year where we all played together. Guys stepped in, guys did well but with all the random lineups we had, it’s tough as an offensive line to play next to new people all the time. It’s gonna be huge this offseason and, hopefully, we all stay healthy and whatnot, but just finally getting some reps together again. Really excited about that.”

Cody Mauch Is Greater – And Hopefully Higher – In 2026

The final time the Buccaneers had a totally wholesome Cody Mauch on the sphere, he was displaying indicators of turning into among the finest guards within the NFL. In 2024, he earned a stellar 74.6 grade from Professional Soccer Focus. Now coming into his fourth season with the Buccaneers, Mauch comes into OTAs with extra weight on him.

Although the Buccaneers’ web site has him listed at 303 kilos, Mauch known as it a “scam.” Final season, he performed between 313-315 kilos, he mentioned. This season, he’s as much as 325 kilos.

“We’ll see how that goes out here, especially with Zac [Robinson’s] scheme with all the running that we’re going to be doing,” Mauch mentioned. “As long as the weight, I don’t lose a step in terms of that, and I’m excited to see how that plays out especially when we start to get into some of the gap scheme, pads on, more power rushes, and see how that weight holds up.”

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke and RG Cody Mauch – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

This season goes to be an necessary one for Mauch. He’s coming into the ultimate yr of his four-year rookie take care of the franchise and will command an enormous payday if his play resembles that of 2024.

However proper now, most significantly for Mauch is getting again on the sphere along with his teammates and staying on it all through the 2026 marketing campaign. After watching from the sidelines for the primary time in his profession final season, Mauch is set to get again to his former self after a really difficult seven months away from the sphere.

“It’s weird that the last time I was on this field with a helmet on was September. That just seems so long ago,” Mauch mentioned. “I used to be actually, actually excited to get again out right here in the present day. I simply texted my spouse, like I used to be simply so completely happy that my knee felt nice and every little thing, so we have been pumped about that.

“I think the biggest thing with the whole rehab process is taking your small wins, and I’m counting today as a really big win.”