Chris Godwin was having one of the best years of his career in 2024 before he suffered a gruesome injury, and some have wondered if he will be impacted next season. Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht does not sound concerned about any lingering effects for the veteran receiver, however.
Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 7 last year that required season-ending surgery. Licht spoke about the injury during a Thursday appearance on WDAE’s “The Drive with TKras” show. The GM expressed optimism about Godwin’s recovery.
“I’m feeling very good about it. He’s hitting all of his milestones. He’s hitting all of his markers. He’s where he’s supposed to be,” Licht said, via Bobby Kownack of NFL.com. “We’re not going to try to set any records for the fastest rehab because we want to make sure everything’s done right and just get him out there for the regular season. Right now, we’re taking it week by week. I’ve said this time and time before, but I would never bet against Chris.”
Godwin had 50 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns in just seven games before suffering the injury. He had firmly established himself as Baker Mayfield’s go-to target and averaged a career-high 7.1 catches per game.
This is not the first time in Godwin’s career that he has had to come back from a major injury. He tore his ACL late in the 2021 season. He had a career-high 104 catches the following year.
The Buccaneers re-signed Godwin to a three-year, $66 million deal at the start of free agency. At least one other team was reportedly willing to offer the 29-year-old much more money, so it sounds like no one is betting against Godwin heading into 2025.
