Chris Godwin suffered a serious ankle injury in Week 7 that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver is not giving up all hope just yet.
While speaking at his Team Godwin Foundation Gala in Tampa on Monday night, Godwin did not rule out playing again in 2024 should the Buccaneers make the playoffs.
“I mean, I think that’s best-case scenario, right? Like absolute best case. For all involved. Everything lines up. That’s what you kind of aim for,” Godwin said, via ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
Godwin underwent surgery last week. He emphasized that he is taking things “day by day” at the moment, but he plans to do all of the “extra little things” that can help accelerate the recovery timeline.
There is no guarantee that the Bucs will make the playoffs. They will be without Godwin for at least the entire regular season, and Mike Evans is out for several games with a hamstring injury. Tampa Bay fell to 4-4 on the season with a 31-26 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Godwin suffered his gruesome lower-leg injury when he was tackled by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. The NFL determined that the hit met the criteria for a hip-drop tackle, and Smith has since been fined.
Even after missing Week 8, Godwin still ranks third in the NFL with 50 catches. He had been having an outstanding year prior to going down. Godwin is set to become a free agent after the season.
