The 2025 version of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been dealing with a plethora of injuries. While a lot of various position groups have taken a beating, none of them have dealt with the adversity that the wide receivers have. They knew coming into the year they would be down Chris Godwin Jr., but in the preseason they lost Jalen McMillan, and then last week it was Mike Evans.

While the team is poised to get Godwin back in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, others have had to step up with so many injuries. The star has been rookie Emeka Egbuka, but not getting lost in the shuffle, at least in the mind of Baker Mayfield, is veteran Sterling Shepard.

The two players were teammates at Oklahoma and helped Mayfield win the Heisman Trophy in his final year in Norman. On Wednesday, the veteran quarterback was asked about how the group has done in dealing with the injuries and he hinted that it doesn’t fall on one player.

“Obviously, Mike [Evans] is a guy that completely changes how teams play us. He draws a lot of attention, so in the midst of a game, [I] did not see them adjust and adapt that much when it came to Emeka [Egbuka], but we will see. Everybody [has] to step up — one person is not going to fill Mike’s shoes, so everybody has to step up and do their role at a very high level and execute against a good ball club.”

The team will have a chance to showcase their depth in a pivotal game on Sunday against the undefeated Eagles, who come into town. Shepard will have a big role once again, as well as Egbuka.

Even with Godwin returning, they will be playing meaningful snaps, and they have the trust of their quarterback, it seems.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Baker Mayfield is proud of the way Sterling Shepard has stepped up