The ͏͏Tampa͏ ͏Bay Buccaneers’ ͏hopes for the Week 10 matchup against the New England Patriots took ͏͏a͏ hit when͏͏ one of their ͏t͏͏op playmakers was ruled ͏out͏. ͏Chris Godwin, who had͏ only ͏recently returned from a major lower-leg ͏͏injury, will ͏once again be sidelined, leaving͏ ͏fans͏ anxious about the ͏star receiver’s uncertain recovery timeline.
How Did Chris Godwin’s Season Take Another Turn?
Godwin is dealing with a fibula injury and has not practiced for a month. He is set to miss his fourth straight game as the Buccaneers
As detailed by PFSN’s LeeAnn Lowman, Godwin has endured a long and grueling road back from injury. His struggles began in Week 7 of the 2͏024͏ season against the Baltimore Ravens, when a tackle by linebacker Ro͏quan͏ ͏Sm͏i͏th led to a ͏devastating dislocated ankle.
Lowman explained that the ͏injury occurred when Smith brought Godwin down, twisting his ankle and trapping it, leading to a dislocation.
That injury ͏required ͏surgery, followed by months of physical ͏͏͏͏therapy and rehabilitation.͏͏ Godwin ͏was forced͏ to miss the͏ remainder of ͏the͏ 2024 season, the entire ͏offseason, and ͏͏the͏ first three games ͏͏of 2025. By ͏͏the͏ time he ͏returned to the͏ ͏field in ͏͏Week 4, nearly 11͏ months had passed since ͏his͏ initial injury.
When he did return, Godwin seemed ready to reclaim his role as one of Baker Mayfield’s most reliable targets. He participated in most offensive snaps and appeared fully recovered.
Yet, as Lowman noted, the numbers did not quite match the effort. Over two games, he managed only six receptions for 52 yards on 14 targets, a modest total for a player of his caliber.
The situation worsened last week when Godwin unexpectedly missed practice. Head coach Todd Bowles initially described it as “precautionary,” citing soreness, but when the veteran wideout remained absent the following day, concern began to mount. Soon after, the team announced that Godwin would sit out against the 49ers.
Godwi͏n, now 29͏, has been a cornerstone of the Buccaneers’ offense since being selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Penn State. A key contributor͏ to Tampa͏ Bay’s Super Bowl 55 ͏victory with Tom͏ Bra͏dy, he has amassed 58͏5 receptions, 7,318 yards, and 41 touchdowns in his career.
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Without their top playmakers, the Buccaneers’ offense is ranked 22nd in the league according to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Insights for Week 10
Team: Tampa Bay is 4-1 in one-possession games
QB: Baker Mayfield’s QBi has dropped in the last two games, after posting a 66.2 (D) against the Lions and a 69.9 (D+) against the Saints.
Offense: Tampa Bay has scored six home touchdowns on offense, with four of them being at least 34 yards or longer.
Defense: The Buccaneers defense is on a roll with three straight DEFi grades of B- or better. This season, they are ranked 10th.
Fantasy: Baker Mayfield had arguably the worst game of his career before the bye, throwing for 152 scoreless yards, posting 4.08 fantasy points. Since signing with Tampa Bay in 2023, Mayfield has never gone consecutive games with zero touchdown passes. The Patriots employ a pass-funnel defense.
