The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing a significant setback after losing star wide receiver Chris Godwin to a likely season-ending ankle injury during the final moments of their 41-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7. Godwin dislocated his ankle with 59 seconds remaining in the game following a tackle by Roquan Smith. He was unable to get back on his feet and had to be taken off the field in an air cast, while ESPN opted not to show a replay of the troubling incident.
At the time of Godwin’s injury, the Buccaneers were trailing by 24 points in the fourth quarter, with a win probability estimated at just 0.1 percent, raising questions about why the team kept their starters, including Godwin, in the game. Head coach Todd Bowles defended his choice to play Godwin, stating, “He’s a player. We’re trying to win the ballgame. We were still down 10. We’re trying to get extra points and kick another onside kick. [The injury] just happened.”
Bowles noted that the decision was also influenced by the limited number of healthy receivers available to the team, especially after Mike Evans was sidelined due to a hamstring injury in the first quarter. “With Mike going down, we didn’t have that many receivers left as it was,” Bowles explained. He added that the team was committed to playing with the players they had.
When questioned whether the circumstances surrounding Evans’ injury should have prompted a more cautious approach with Godwin, Bowles stated, “You can say that because he got hurt. We don’t second-guess. We’ve got our guys. We’re playing everybody we’ve got. It’s unfortunate he got hurt, but he’s a football player, and he wants to be in the game, just like Baker [Mayfield] and everybody else wanted to be in the game.”
Bowles also rejected the suggestion that he had failed to protect Godwin by keeping him on the field for the one-minute drill, asserting, “I do protect my players all the time. That has nothing to do with why we left him in the ballgame. We still had a shot to score some points and win the ballgame. It happens. It happens in football.”
This injury comes at a crucial time for the Buccaneers, who are preparing for an important Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, which could determine control of the NFC South early in the season. Godwin had been enjoying a standout season, ranking second in the NFL with 576 receiving yards through the first seven weeks. With a likely free agency in sight after the 2024 NFL season, he had positioned himself well for a strong market.
As the team now faces the rest of the season without Godwin, Bowles expressed his sympathy, saying, “Our prayers go out to him. Chris is a hell of a player and a hell of a human being. Not much you can say. You feel bad for him, and unfortunately, they’re not going to cancel the games. We got to step up and move on. But our hearts are heavy.”