Will Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin play on Monday night against the Houston Texans?

Glenn Kaplan

Will Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin play on Monday night against the Houston Texans? image

Nathan Ray Seebeck

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin has not played in an NFL game since October 21, 2024, against the Baltimore Ravens. Godwin missed the rest of the 2024 season with a fractured ankle.

Godwin did not play in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. With Tampa Bay not playing until Monday night on the road against the Houston Texans, there could be a chance that Godwin returns to game action. He was back at practice on Thursday along with offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs. What are the odds that Godwin could potentially be back on the field on Monday night?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin has a long shot to play on Monday night

With Godwin returning to practice on Thursday, it is a step in the right direction for him returning to the field. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said about the possibility of him playing on Monday night,

"It's great to see them out there. They were limited in practice, but they flew around and did the things we asked them to do. We'll see how the week progresses right now."

He also claimed that Wirfs and Godwin both "looked good today." Bowles also added,

"They got a lot of tests to pass."

With the fact that they have a lot of tests to pass, it feels unlikely that Godwin is going to play on Monday night for Tampa Bay against Houston. Last month, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Godwin is unlikely to play until at least October.

Even with Godwin out of the lineup right now, the Buccaneers are just fine at wide receiver with Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka. Whenever they get Godwin back, the offense will be adding another reliable throwing target for quarterback Baker Mayfield.

During the 2024 NFL season, Godwin caught 50 passes for 576 yards receiving and five touchdowns, along with averaging 11.5 yards per reception. He was targeted 62 times. Godwin being back on the practice field is no doubt a good sign for Tampa Bay moving forward. However, the Buccaneers should not rush Godwin back into game action before October anyways.  

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Glenn Kaplan

Glenn Kaplan is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has experience covering the MLB, college football, college basketball, NBA, NHL and NFL, bringing a well-rounded perspective to his work. Glenn has contributed to outlets including FanSided, Wisconsin Sports Heroics, Gridiron Heroics and Pro Football Network, and began his career with Towson University’s student newspaper.