The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gear up for their Week 11 road matchup against the Buffalo Bills while continuing to manage injuries throughout their offensive roster. Chris Godwin has been absent since Week 5 with a fibula issue. Will fantasy football managers finally have their veteran receiver available for the stretch run?
Chris Godwin Injury Update
Godwin sat out the first three weeks of the season recuperating from an ankle fracture sustained late in the 2024 campaign. He made his 2025 debut in Week 4, instantly seeing substantial playing time with an 80% snap share. He looked healthy and displayed no visible limitations from the ankle injury.​
Week 5 brought similar workload and snap counts, with Godwin once again playing close to 80% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps. However, at some point during that game, he picked up a new injury reported as a fibula issue.​
Godwin has not practiced or played since Week 5. The fibula injury has proven stubborn, keeping him out for four consecutive games heading into Week 11. Head coach Todd Bowles addressed the injury at one point, clarifying that it’s not season-ending, which provides some long-term optimism but little clarity on a specific return timeline.​
The Bucs came out of their bye week with high hopes of getting several injured players back on the field. The extra week of rest should theoretically benefit Godwin’s recovery, though the lack of recent updates made his Week 10 status uncertain at best.​
Godwin did not practice during Week 10, continuing a pattern that has persisted since he went down. He hasn’t appeared close to practicing since sustaining his fibula injury.​
Recent reports surfaced that Godwin is expected to be out until at least late November. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers are exercising extreme caution with Godwin given his injury history. Fowler appeared on SportsCenter Thursday and revealed that Godwin will likely remain sidelined until “late November-December”.​
“So with him coming back with the injury last year as well, and he aggravated his fibula early in the year, they just don’t want to press it with him,” said Fowler. “They’re thinking late November-December with Chris Godwin. So they’ll take it week-to-week with him, see if he can practice on Friday, but he was not out there Thursday”.​
A late November or early December timeline would place Godwin’s return anywhere between Weeks 12 and 14, meaning he’ll miss several more games. Godwin has now missed 16 of his last 18 games since he suffered a gruesome dislocated left fibula in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 regular season.​
ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported in July that Godwin actually needed a surprise second surgery on his ankle this spring. Multiple sources indicated Godwin underwent a second procedure, shedding further light on his rehab from the dislocated ankle last season.​
Given the combination of Godwin’s ankle injury history, delayed recovery, and this new fibula issue, it seems likely that 2025 ends up being a lost season for Godwin. The veteran receiver has appeared in just two games this season after missing the first three weeks recovering from the ankle fracture, then the past four games because of the fibula injury.​
Godwin’s Fantasy Outlook
The Bucs have been extremely shorthanded on offense without several key contributors available. Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and Godwin have all missed significant time, forcing Tampa Bay to rely heavily on depth pieces and role players.​
Rookie Tez Johnson and veteran Sterling Shepard have been called upon for increased roles in the receiving corps. Both players have done their best to fill the void, but neither possesses the talent or experience to truly replace what Godwin brings to the offense when healthy.​
RELATED: Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
Emeka Egbuka remains the clear WR1 in Tampa Bay’s passing attack and should continue seeing all the volume he can handle for as long as the injury situation persists. The rookie receiver has stepped up admirably in the absence of both Godwin and Mike Evans, who is on injured reserve with what is believed to be a season-ending broken collarbone.​
Baker Mayfield will also likely continue to lean more on tight end Cade Otton. The veteran has emerged as one of Mayfield’s most trusted targets, providing a reliable underneath option that’s particularly valuable given the receiver injuries.​
The Week 11 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on the road represents a challenging environment where Tampa Bay could desperately use Godwin’s veteran presence. However, fantasy managers should harbor no expectations for his return anytime soon.​
When and if Godwin does eventually return, he’ll immediately reclaim a significant role in Tampa Bay’s offense. Before the fibula injury, he was on pace to resume his status as one of the team’s primary receiving threats. His chemistry with Mayfield and ability to work all three levels of the field make him irreplaceable in this passing attack.​
However, with a return timeline now extending into late November or December at the earliest, and considering his extensive injury history over the past year and a half, fantasy managers in need of the roster spot can drop him. The likelihood of Godwin providing meaningful fantasy contributions in 2025 appears increasingly slim given his prolonged absence and the conservative approach Tampa Bay is taking with his recovery.
