What happened to Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin suffered an unfortunate knee injury during Sunday Night Football in Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season against the New Orleans Saints. It was a frustrating night for the Buccaneers, who lost to their division rivals while getting shut out on the scoreboard and being hit by multiple key injuries.
In addition to Chris Godwin, wide receiver Mike Evans and running back Leonard Fournette were also injured during the game. These are quarterback Tom Brady's top three options in the passing game in terms of targets and receptions this season.
Losing the game was bad but not as devastating as losing key players.
Chris Godwin suffers a knee injury in NFL Week 15
The official injury designation for Chris Godwin is a sprained MCL in his right knee. While anything related to the knee is always a serious injury for any athlete, the good news is that it is just a sprain rather than a tear.
A sprain means he has a decent chance of returning for the playoffs this year, while a tear would have sidelined him for at least several months.
#Bucs WR Chris Godwin, who suffered an MCL sprain, is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, source said. With three games left, Injured Reserve makes sense. Godwin should be able to return for the playoffs, which obviously is most important.
Losing Chris Godwin for the rest of the regular season is devastating for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He enters Week 16 of the 2021 NFL season leading the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards and YAC.
He has emerged as the favorite and most reliable option for Tom Brady in the Buccaneers offense.
The good news is that he has a chance to return by the playoffs. Often times, knee injuries can completely derail a season or sometimes can even extend beyond that.
With it being a sprain and not a tear, the Buccaneers are optimistic that he will be ready to go after a few weeks of recovery.
Here is the Chris Godwin injury. https://t.co/gvovpuEU9i
Chris Godwin will most likely be placed on the injured reserve list, where the three-game minimum absence will conclude at the end of the regular season. It was recently reported that Antonio Brown is expected back with the team this week.
His return comes at a time when the Buccaneers need him the most, while trying to replace the production provided by Chris Godwin.
Also read: NFL Rumors: Bruce Arians unsure about Antonio Brown's future with Buccaneers
Antonio Brown has not played in over two months. His last appearance was all the way back in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Buccaneers will hope he can get back up to speed quickly, especially if Mike Evans is forced to miss any time as well. The Buccaneers remain in pursuit of the top seed in the NFC playoffs, where they trail the Green Bay Packers by one game.