Buccaneers HC on Godwin: ‘He’s Great. He’s Healthy’

Chris Godwin is one of the greatest receivers in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history.

The only receiver that has more yards for the franchise is Mike Evans, and Evans is now a San Francisco 49er.

Now, Godwin is the elder statesman in what is, overall, a young position group.

Emeka Egbuka is coming off a season in which he was a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Tez Johnson, also going into his second year, has already proven to be great value for a seventh-round pick, and Jalen McMillan is looking for a fair chance to show off what he can do.

The excitement around Tampa’s receivers room, mixed with the disappointment of Evans not ending his career with the Bucs, makes it easy to overlook Godwin.

But when Godwin is healthy, he has been money, and coach Todd Bowles’ words this past week at OTAs suggest that his health is in a good spot.

“Chris has been great,” Bowles said. “You know, he’s in great shape. He’s great. He’s healthy.”

“He’s working out. He’s tough. He’s very smart. They rely on him for a lot of the mental part of it. and he’s very helpful that way, but he also makes plays, and he looks good.”

Godwin’s health has betrayed him multiple times in recent years.

In October 2024, Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle, a high-ankle sprain, and a dislocated foot, causing him to miss the rest of the season and putting him on the shelf until training camp 2025.

In Week 5 of this past season, Godwin injured his fibula, and he ended up missing almost half of the season.

The last time Godwin had a full, healthy season was 2023, when he eclipsed 1,000 yards.

Three years can be a long time in the NFL.

Back then, Godwin was 27 and didn’t have the ankle and fibula injuries under his belt.

Now, Godwin is 30, and it remains to be seen if he’ll be the same player.

The good news for Godwin and the Bucs is that he doesn’t have to be the player he was three years ago to make an impact.

If Egbuka can build off what he did as a rookie, he’ll be one of the better receivers in the league. If McMillan can stay healthy, he could be a quality No. 3.

A healthy Godwin would allow Johnson to be a key depth piece, and the Bucs also got praise for drafting Ted Hurst out of Georgia State in the third round.

Godwin is signed with the Bucs for two more seasons, having inked a three-year, $66 million extension in 2025. If he’s healthy, it could be the difference in the Bucs reclaiming the NFC South.

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