Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin is sticking to a slow and steady approach to his return to game action.
Godwin said on a podcast released Tuesday that he and the Buccaneers were far from certain as to whether he will play Week 1 against the host Dallas Cowboys.
Godwin is returning from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. At a recent practice, he was seen no longer wearing a knee brace.
“I don’t think any of us know that yet,” Godwin said of his availability on In the Moment with David Greene. “In the grand scheme of things, I don’t think it matters that much. I would love to be there for the entire season, but I think what’s more important is being there for the second half of the season. Being there for what I missed last year.”
That tracked with coach Todd Bowles’ remarks when Godwin returned to practice last month.
“He doesn’t have to be ready (for Week 1),” Bowles said Tuesday. “We want him for the long haul. We don’t want him running around, looking good and then getting hurt.”
Godwin, 26, caught a career-high 98 passes for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns before suffering his season-ending injury in Week 15.
In five seasons with the Buccaneers, Godwin has caught 342 passes for 4,643 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro selection in 2019.
The Buccaneers re-signed him to a three-year deal worth $60 million, with $40 million fully guaranteed, in March.
–Field Level Media