Could the Bucs be getting back an important offensive weapon soon?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense has had its ups and downs in 2025 after being one of the top units in the league in 2024.

Consistency and injuries have been the main sticking points for Tampa Bay's offense. Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson have all missed time along the offensive line, blocking for Baker Mayfield and opening up running games. The offensive line hasn't been the only portion of the offense that has missed time, with skill players such as Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan also missing for portions of the season.

One player in particular, McMillan, has been a huge question mark since suffering a neck injury in preseason this year. McMillan has missed the entire regular season to this point, constantly being seen in a neck brace, but in a new video provided by Rock Riley, McMillan could be returning to the gridiron soon as we see for the first time that he no longer has the brace around his neck.

McMillan on track to return in December?

Jan 5, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (15) Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Good to see Bucs WR Jalen McMillan.
No neck brace.
Bucs are still hopeful of getting him back next month.
We’ll see. pic.twitter.com/3kWcVJ5b2g
— rock riley (@realrockriley) November 20, 2025

McMillan suffered the injury in the Bucs' preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a scary play, but it was initially thought that McMillan would be able to return after the team's Week 9 bye, only for that timeline to get pushed to December.

With so many injuries to skill players, McMillan's return would be a welcome sight to an offense that could use someone to take pressure off of rookie Emeka Egbuka.

Fellow rookie Tez Johnson and veteran Sterling Shepard have attempted this, but they aren't quite able to garner the respect of defensive secondaries that McMillan could.

There was much to be expected from McMillan here in his second season in the league, despite the addition of Egbuka in the NFL Draft. In fact, before the season, the internet was in awe of how dangerous the Bucs' wide receiver room was with Evans, Godwin, McMillan and Egbuka.

It looks like McMillan is in the final stretch of his rehabilitation process and could return to help the Bucs' offense as the regular season winds down and the postseason begins. If he can return to his 2024 form, where he had 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns (seven of which came in the Bucs' final five games), then we could see the Bucs' offense get back on track to what we know it can be.

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