Buccaneers are losing patience with rookie Ted Hurst

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie third-round draft pick, wide receiver Ted Hurst, generated plenty of offseason hype after an impressive training camp where he showcased the wide catch radius, and contested-catch ability that was missing from the team’s wide receiver room.

Standing at 6-foot-4 with a penchant for creating explosive plays downfield and scoring touchdowns in the red zone, there was hope that Hurst could fill the X wide receiver role and help to soften the blow of losing Mike Evans to the San Francisco 49ers.

But Hurst is evidently still quite raw, and has failed to make an immediate impact. Outside of some splash plays, he’s had an underwhelming rookie season, and the team is clearly growing impatient with the rookie.

Ted Hurst’s role with the Buccaneers is quickly disappearing 

Snap counts are out for the Buccaneers’ Week 9 showdown with the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, and perhaps the most telling number is that Hurst played only one snap in a game where the Buccaneers attempted 32 passes.

That play came in the second quarter. Mayfield hit Hurst right in the hands, but the rookie dropped what should have been an easy completion. After that, he was benched and didn’t play another snap.

Speedster Tez Johnson has replaced Hurst as the WR3, and Hurst even played fewer snaps than David Sills, who was released on Tuesday. That should tell you plenty about where things stand.

Hurst’s short leash signals that either Baker Mayfield or the coaching staff doesn’t trust him. Perhaps it’s both, and rightfully so.

The rookie simply hasn’t taken advantage of his opportunities this season. He’s caught only 11 of his 25 targets for a dismal 44% catch rate. He’s the only Buccaneers pass-catcher, including tight ends and running backs, to have converted less than half of his targets.

There’s still plenty of time for Hurst to develop into a quality X receiver. It’s far too early to call him a bust, and making the jump from Georgia State to the NFL is no small feat.

The traits that the Buccaneers fell in love with during the draft process are still there. He led all of college football over his last two years in catches of 20-plus yards, and 71% of his receptions resulted in first downs or touchdowns. Tampa Bay has to hope they can unlock that explosiveness and big-play ability as he continues to develop.

But any hope that he’d be an immediate impact player that the offense can count on as one of their top receiving threats is gone.

He’s clearly not a player the Buccaneers trust to play a significant role for them this year, and unless he drastically improves in the coming weeks, he could spend the rest of his rookie year in the doghouse.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow