Offensive Line Woes Examined
January 5th, 2026
So the Carolina Panthers led the NFL this season in having the most offensive line combinations play at least 50 snaps together.
They win the no-continuity award with 10 combinations of O-linemen on the field playing at least 50 snaps.
Guess who had the second most? That would be your beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bucs checked in with 9 combinations logging all those snaps. The data is from the NFL, via stats queen Cynthia Frelund on her Number Game series of podcasts.
The Panthers ranked 19th in rushing yards per carry this season. The Bucs checked in at a miserable 26th.
The offensive line blues were significant for the Bucs. Injuries happen, but backups let the team down and were misevaluated.
March free agent signing Charlie Heck spent all spring and most of the summer at left tackle but the Bucs were terrified to actually play him there in a game. Second-year guard Elijah Klein wasn’t good enough and was benched in a hurry. Backup guard Michael Jordan was ok for a stretch, but Joe suspects he’s not good enough to return next season. Fellow backup guard Dan Feeney, Joe suspects, will be back on someone’s practice squad next season, as he was until the Bucs signed him in mid-September.
Reserve guard Luke Haggard seemed to play well but he got injured and then, somewhat mysteriously, lost his job to Feeney for the rest of the season.
Undrafted rookie Ben Chukwuma showed great promise but needs more seasoning and snaps.
The Bucs entered the season with a stud starting offensive line — young, strong and experienced. All of them sustained major injuries except for starting center Graham Barton. That same group returns next year.
So how many wins did offensive line injuries cost the Bucs? That’s a brutally tough question. Joe would call the over/under at 1.5.