Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin has been one of the elite No. 2's in the league alongside Mike Evans for years, and if Evans is one of the biggest legends in Bucs history and their greatest ever receiver, then Godwin deserves a nod as an icon in his own right with four career 1,000-yard catch seasons and two additional campaigns with 98 and 104 receptions in back to back years.
Both Evans and Godwin have been huge misses for the Bucs, and while Baker Mayfield's No. 1 target is still quite a ways away from returning, many Bucs fans were hoping to get a sliver of good news on the Godwin front ahead of Week 11's all important clash with an AFC Super Bowl contender in the Buffalo Bills.
Godwin has been out since Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks with a fibula injury, as both he and star running back Bucky Irving have been huge misses over the month and a half, with Godwin going down about a week after Irving did.
When will Chris Godwin return?
Although Godwin was able to get limited practice sessions in each day this week alongside Irving, ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed that both key Buccaneers starters will indeed be ruled out for the Week 11 battle with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, putting Baker Mayfield under more pressure to take it upon himself and outduel the reigning NFL MVP.
Mayfield had a tough time against new MVP hopeful Drake Maye and the New England Patriots, and it won't get any easier without Godwin, who is one of the best wide receivers in the game in his own right despite always being a bit in the shadow of Evans.
Bucs fans will hope that Godwin continues to heal up and can get more reps in at practice throughout the week next week, because it doesn't get any easier when looking at the Bucs schedule with a date with another MVP caliber quarterback, Matthew Stafford, next Sunday when Tampa Bay takes on the NFC West's Los Angeles Rams.
So far this season, Godwin has only been able to appear in two games for the Bucs after making just seven in the 2024 NFL season. He has 6 catches on 14 targets for 52 yards, so when he does make it back from his injury, Godwin will be very hungry to prove he's still one of the best receivers.