Injuries have increasingly become an issue for the Buccaneers, but one notable return at the receiver position can be expected. Chris Godwin was a full participant in practice yesterday, the first time that was the case since his most recent game action. 
Godwin is “definitely trending toward playing,” head coach Todd Bowles said on Friday (via the team’s website). A return in that case would be welcomed by a Tampa Bay team which has been without Mike Evans since Week 7. A broken clavicle will keep Evans sidelined for much of the regular season, leaving Godwin and rookie Emeka Egbuka to handle the load at the receiver spot down the stretch.
Ebuka enjoyed a stellar start to the year, but since Godwin went down the first-rounder has understandably seen a downturn in production. Defenses will be less likely to focus primarily on Egbuka once even one half of the Evans-Godwin tandem is back in place. That could very well be the case for Sunday, although offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard suggested Godwin could be on a pitch count during his return game.
The 29-year-old was leading the league in receptions when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in 2024. Godwin has not been able to carry on in terms of production due to his latest ailment, but expectations will be high once he is back in the fold. A nine-year Tampa Bay veteran, Godwin elected to remain in place this past offseason by inking a three-year, $66MM pact. Remaining healthy moving forward will thus be critical to his impact in 2025 but also beyond the current season.
In other injury news, lead running back Bucky Irving will not suit up on Sunday night against the Rams. Bowles said (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times) Irving “didn’t handle” the situation well when he was injured, but added the 23-year-old is “trending up” regarding a return in Week 13. Tampa Bay will take on Carolina in what could be Irving’s first game action since September.
The Bucs still lead the NFC South, but the 6-4 team has lost three of its last four games. Rebounding down the stretch will be key if Tampa is to top the division once again in 2025, and a more positive outlook on the health front is taking shape.