Jason Licht is Confident in a Healthy Buccaneers Offensive Line in 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a lot of players back in the fold after injuries devastated their 2025 season. Plenty of units across the team will benefit from that, but perhaps one of the biggest is the offensive line.

When healthy, the Buccaneers' offensive line can be one of the best in the entire NFL. Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke are among the best starting offensive tackles in the game today, Cody Mauch and Graham Barton are rising stars on the interior offensive line and Ben Bredeson is a capable veteran who can play multiple positions.

Recently, Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan.com sat down with Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht to discuss the team. One of the main focuses of the interview was the Buccaneers' offensive line.

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) on the field in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"We had only one player up front who didn’t miss a snap last year, Graham Barton," Licht said, per JoeBucsFan. "Those injuries have an effect on the entire offense. When your quarterback doesn’t feel as comfortable, just by nature, and you have guys playing different positions, you can’t get into a flow. It has an avalanche effect on the entire team. You can’t move the ball as well, so your defense is out on the field longer."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield gets ready to fire off a pass while getting protection from guard Dan Feeney who is keeping Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker at bay during first half action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov 16, 2025 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Many also thought that the Buccaneers could have used more depth along the offensive line last season. The team had a large number of injuries to the position group and were never really able to fully recover, having to rely on fill-ins like Dan Feeney, Mike Jordan and more throughout the season as well as guys playing out of position for multiple games.

When asked if there were any regrets about not having better backups on the line, Licht mentioned that he has to get better at that aspect, but that doing so can be quite difficult.

"Yes, of course. I always put that on myself," Licht said. "It’s easier said than done, though. You can’t have 10 potential Pro Bowl players on your offensive line."

Sep 15, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) celebrates with Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Cody Mauch (69) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

One player the Buccaneers certainly missed last season was Mauch, who missed almost all of last season due to a torn ACL early on in the 2026 season. Mauch has been a rising star for the Buccaneers for the past couple of seasons now, and his injury was one of the more major long-term blows the team suffered during the 2026 season.

Licht is excited for Mauch to come back to the fold and praised his motor.

Of course, we missed him. That’s one of my favorite things about him — playing through the whistle and setting the tone up front," Licht said.

Tampa Bay's line is working to get back to where it was in 2024 at OTAs, and the third and final week will begin on Tuesday. After that, the Bucs will prepare for mandatory minicamp on June 16.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google