Everything You Need to Know From Ted Hurst's Buccaneers Debut: An Up-and-Down Night

Here's the rundown on how Ted Hurst's game went against the New York Jets.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III (17) reacts after catching a pass for a first down against the New York Jets | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New York Jets 24-16 in their first preseason outing in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Friday. There were plenty of players to watch, but one player Bucs fans and pundits were looking forward to seeing was wide receiver Ted Hurst.

Hurst was drafted by the Bucs in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Georgia State, and although he has impressive measurable, many have wondered if he can compete at a high level after playing at a lower-tier school in college.

Hurst has had a strong camp, and on Friday, he made his preseason debut for the Bucs. Here's how he did against the Jets and what we're looking forward to seeing from him next:

How Ted Hurst's First NFL Game Went

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III (17) runs after a catch as New York Jets cornerback | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Targets: 6
Receptions: 2
Yards: 19
Touchdowns: 0
Longest Catch: 12

What We Liked: Hurst showed some strong route-running acumen, particularly on his first chance at a touchdown (which we'll get to below). He made a great play on his catch that ended up being ruled incomplete — it didn't look like he needed the ground to secure the low ball by Conor Bazelak, but the ball was thrown so low that it was hard to overturn. He showcased plenty of speed, and with some more reps, he could be on a nice development path.

What We Didn't Like: Hurst has struggled with being physical and assertive at the catch point and coming back to the football. The most glaring incident where this took place was on his dropped pass at the goal line on the second drive of the game. Bazelak threw him a ball behind him, but he definitely should have caught it and asserted himself at the goal line.

Overall Thoughts: Just like his camp so far, Hurst has shown flashes that he can be the X wideout Tampa Bay is looking for, but he still has some work to do. A lot of the skills he needs to get better at are skills that he can learn going forward, and he can get better at those skills with a better quarterback throwing him the ball, too. Expect to see that in Tampa Bay's next preseason game.

What's Next for Ted Hurst

New York Jets defensive back Mory Bamba (38) interrupts a pass intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Ted Hurst | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hurst will get some more action in Tampa Bay's second preseason game of the year, which will come against the Kansas City Chiefs at home.

We'd like to see Hurst get some more reps with a more skilled quarterback, and that will certainly be happen next week. Hurst will likely get to catch some passes from Baker Mayfield, assuming Mayfield plays this preseason — if he doesn't, quarterbacks Jalon Daniels and Jake Browning will be able to get him some targets that he can make the most of.

After that, he'll have some more opportunity to spar with starting players when the Buccaneers head up to Jacksonville to have a joint practice with the Jaguars.

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