There couldn’t have been a worse time for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin to get hurt last year than when he did — both for his team and for himself.

For his team, it meant playing the second half of the season without arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver to that point after he suffered a gruesome, dislocated left ankle in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. For Godwin, it meant a world of uncertainty with free agency looming.

What everyone underestimated was the esteem with which Godwin was held around the NFL. So much so, he eventually turned down an offer reportedly in the vicinity of 4 years and between $90 million to $100 million from the New England Patriots to return to the Buccaneers on a 3-year, $66 million contract with $44 million guaranteed.

Now, the only thing left to do for Godwin is to actually play in a game again.

It’s something ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thinks could happen this week when the unbeaten Buccaneers host the unbeaten, defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4.

“We mentioned last week that Week 4 against Philly is a real possibility for Chris Godwin Jr.’s return in Tampa Bay, and that hasn’t changed,” Fowler wrote on September 24. “Godwin (ankle) has progressed well in recent weeks, and with Mike Evans out, a Godwin return would be timely.”

There were a lot of eyebrows raised when the Buccaneers used their first round pick (No. 19 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft on Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

Just 3 games into the regular season, it seems like drafting Egbuka was one of the genius moves of the offseason.

Not only has Egbuka been a revelation with team highs of 14 receptions, 181 yards and 3 touchdowns, having him has become more valuable than ever thanks to a rash of injuries.

Not only is it uncertain if Godwin will actually play against the Eagles, Evans is about to miss multiple games with a hamstring injury for the second consecutive season. Then there’s a third starting wide receiver from last year, Jalen McMillan, who will miss at least the first 8 games after he severely sprained his neck in the preseason.

While Godwin should very well still be in his prime at 29 years old, it’s important to remember that last year’s season-ending injury was the second major injury of his career.

Godwin suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 of the 2021 regular season that cost him the last 3 games of the year and the playoffs, which was a major blow to the Buccaneers as they tried to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put Godwin at the top of his list of “NFL Bounce Back Candidates” in the preseason.

“(Godwin) remains the Buccaneers’ most dynamic receiver, still in his prime,” Moton wrote on June 28. “At 31, Mike Evans barely kept his 1,000-yard receiving season streak alive last year. Entering his second term, Jalen McMillan is in the early stages of development. Emeka Egbuka has to earn quarterback Baker Mayfield’s trust as a reliable receiver.”