In a refreshing change from the recent run of bad injury news, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers received a positive update on wide receiver Chris Godwin.
The initial belief was that Godwin would remain on the PUP list as he continued to recover from a dislocated ankle that required two surgeries. That designation would have automatically sidelined him for the first four games of the season.
For awhile, it seemed like a foregone conclusion. Godwin was not expected to be close to returning, and keeping him on the PUP list would have saved a roster spot as final cuts approached.
Instead, head coach Todd Bowles announced that Godwin will be removed from the PUP list and placed on the 53-man roster. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, while Godwin is still unlikely to play until October, he is expected to begin practicing in Week 2 of the regular season as he ramps up for his return.
Latest Chris Godwin is exactly the good news the Buccaneers needed
The Buccaneers desperately needed this good news on Godwin just days after receiving some bad news on Jalen McMillan. McMillan is expected to miss about the first half of the season with a sprained neck, and the Buccaneers receiving corps was looking thin behind Mike Evans and rookie Emeka Egbuka.
Godwin was the team’s leading receiver before his injury in Week 7 cut a potential career-year short. Godwin had 50 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns before the season-ending injury.
Despite the severity of the injury, the Buccaneers maintained their faith in Godwin. He had logged three straight 1,000-yard seasons and was on pace for a fourth before going down.
This offseason, the Buccaneers rewarded him with a three-year, $66 million extension after he reportedly turned down a larger offer from the New England Patriots to stay in Tampa Bay.
Now, the Bucs are eagerly awaiting his return. If Godwin can play at the level he showed before the injury, Tampa Bay’s offense will get a significant boost.
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