{"id":218039,"date":"2025-07-18T23:33:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T23:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/218039\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T23:33:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T23:33:10","slug":"bucs-wide-receiver-battle-heats-up-behind-mike-evans-and-chris-godwin-ahead-of-2025-nfl-season-nfl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/218039\/","title":{"rendered":"Bucs\u2019 wide receiver battle heats up behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin ahead of 2025 NFL season | NFL News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bucs\u2019Bucs\u2019 2025 offense will depend on who steps up behind Evans and Godwin (Image via: Getty Images) Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have been the cornerstone of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u2019 offense, but the real intrigue lies behind them. As the 2025 NFL season approaches, a heated battle for the remaining wide receiver spots is taking shape at training camp and it’s one worth watching.<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay\u2019s depth chart faces a shake-up begins behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin under Josh Grizzard<\/p>\n

The Buccaneers know what they have in Evans and Godwin. Evans is fresh off his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season, an NFL record, and Godwin is fully recovered from an ankle injury that limited him last year. With new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard calling plays for the first time, the team\u2019s receiving depth will be more critical than ever.The front office made sure to add firepower in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting former Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka in the first round. Known for his polished route-running and quick separation, Egbuka is expected to be the go-to slot receiver. He\u2019s already turning heads during offseason workouts.<\/p>\n

Highlight: Tom Brady Throws to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin<\/p>\n

Tez Johnson and rising contenders fuel intense WR fight in Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

Seventh-round pick Tez Johnson also joins the fray, adding speed and special teams value. But the competition doesn\u2019t stop there. Jalen McMillan, who impressed in 2024 while filling in for the injured Godwin, is pushing hard for a bigger role. Third-year player Trey Palmer and seasoned veteran Sterling Shepard bring experience and chemistry, making it a crowded and competitive room.Bucs insider Brianna Dix summed it up best: \u201cThe first two spots on the depth chart are entrenched with incumbents Mike Evans and Godwin, but the spots behind the dynamic duo are open for the taking.\u201d<\/p>\n

All eyes on Josh Grizzard as Bucs\u2019 WR depth could make or break 2025 season<\/p>\n

For Josh Grizzard, this is both a blessing and a challenge. With Tampa Bay\u2019s offense undergoing a fresh transformation, he\u2019ll need to identify the right supporting cast quickly. Depth will be vital across an 18-week season, and wide receiver remains one of the Bucs\u2019 deepest units.Also Read: Stefon Diggs injury update: Patriots WR recovery timeline ahead of 2025 NFL season opener<\/a>This fierce wide receiver competition could end up being the deciding factor in how explosive Tampa Bay\u2019s offense becomes in 2025. And with playoff hopes on the line, Grizzard and the Bucs won\u2019t be taking any chances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bucs\u2019 2025 offense will depend on who steps up behind Evans and Godwin (Image via: Getty Images) Mike…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":218040,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2077],"tags":[45496,211,45495,7,4621,14916,45497,700,45494,6,704,250,45493,2597,2596,45498],"class_list":{"0":"post-218039","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa-bay-buccaneers","8":"tag-2025-nfl-season-preview","9":"tag-buccaneers","10":"tag-chris-godwin-injury-recovery","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-godwin","13":"tag-josh-grizzard","14":"tag-josh-grizzard-offensive-coordinator","15":"tag-mike-evans","16":"tag-mike-evans-2025-season","17":"tag-nfl","18":"tag-tampa-bay","19":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","20":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers-wide-receiver-competition","21":"tag-tampabay","22":"tag-tampabaybuccaneers","23":"tag-tez-johnson-wide-receiver"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114876856001864771","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218039\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}