OCTOBER 23: Godwin will undergo surgery today to repair his dislocated ankle, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. While the veteran receiver is not expected to return this season, a playoff run by the Buccaneers could give Godwin an outside chance at playing after his recovery.
OCTOBER 22: Chris Godwin‘s recovery process will begin soon. The Buccaneers wideout is scheduled to undergo ankle surgery this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Godwin was injured in the final minute of Tampa Bay’s loss on Monday, and after the game head coach Todd Bowles indicated the team’s fear that a dislocated ankle had been suffered. Evaluation will take place today to determine the full extent of the damage, per Rapoport, whose report does indeed deem Godwin’s injury to be a dislocation. He is not expected to return this season.
Bowles has since said Godwin is “probably” out for the year, though the third-year Bucs HC added (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) a return late in the playoffs — should the team be left standing by that point — is not out of the question entirely.
While Godwin is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2025 campaign, his situation marks a major blow to Tampa Bay’s offense. Especially in the event Mike Evans – whose hamstring injury forced him to leave last night’s contest early – misses considerable time, Godwin would have been in line to handle a heavy workload moving forward. The 28-year-old sits second in the NFL in receiving yards (576), an illustration of how impactful he is for the Bucs and how his 2024 campaign was shaping up.
Now, Godwin’s attention will turn to rehab in advance of a trip free agency. The Pro Bowler’s value was set to reach a notable height if his production had continued through the rest of the season, but his health status will now be a factor which could hinder his market. Shortly after being franchise-tagged for a second straight year in 2022, he inked a three-year, $60MM pact. That deal carried risk given the ACL tear he had suffered the previous season, but the Penn State product managed to top 1,000 yards in 2022 and ’23. After being well on his way to reaching that for a fifth year (and fourth in a row), his future is uncertain.
To little surprise (based on how the Buccaneers have operated with respect to many of their top players), it was reported in the spring no extension talks have taken place with Godwin. That will no doubt remain the case now given his injury, although he could of course remain firmly in the team’s plans for 2025 and beyond. With Godwin out of the picture – and, potentially, Evans as well – it will be interesting to see if the 4-3 Bucs are active ahead of the trade deadline in terms of pursuing a wideout addition.
The Bucs may be interested in Mike Williams.
He is working his way back from a torn acl. It took Godwin a better player 2 years to feel back to self. No thanks to Williams he just cuts into the young players snaps.
Hoping he has no ligament damage. It sucks that a guy that does so much right gets hurt like this. May have been his last game as a Buc too.
Hope the BUZZER doesn’t go off when surgeons performing the OPERATION go in to fix his Wrenched Ankle.