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Bucs guard Cody Mauch ready to make his return after injury last season
- Story byWFLA
- Bucs guard Cody Mauch ready to make his return after injury last season
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — When the Bucs take the field on Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs , it will be the debut for several starters on the team. The return to game action will be even bigger for offensive lineman Cody Mauch .
Mauch will be playing in a game for the first time since week 2 of last season. It was that game against the Houston Texans in which Mauch suffered a torn meniscus that ended his season. It was an injury that he had no idea had occurred during the game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Cody Mauch (69) runs with teammates during an NFL football training camp practice Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," Mauch said. "I felt like I could have just kept going."
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And that's exactly what Mauch did in that game; kept going. Mauch played the entirety of the game and was a key lead blocker on an Emeka Egbuka receiving touchdown. It wasn't until after the game was over that Mauch learned the severity of his injury. He learned that his season was over.
"I thought it was a cruel joke," Mauch said. "Honestly, I couldn't believe it. I thought there was no way."
Mauch had to watch the rest of the season from an unfamiliar place: the sidelines.
"I realized that all the things you find monotonous are the things that you really miss," he said.
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Saturday night, Mauch will make a return that has been nearly a year in the making. He's ready to strap on the pads and play football once again.
"It's a long time not to play football," he said.
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