In just under 23 weeks, the Bucs will kick off the 2025 season. But will Chris Godwin be ready to go for the team’s season opener?

The veteran wide receiver signed a three-year, $66 million contract to remain in Tampa Bay this offseason, but he’s still coming off a dislocated ankle that he suffered in Week 7 of the 2024 season. The injury occurred on Oct. 21, and while he’s still on his way back, Godwin spoke last month about the confidence he has in himself to bounce back this fall.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

“I’m fully confident in my ability to make that comeback,” Godwin said. “Unfortunately or fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to do it once before, but it’s just like anything else. If I just focus on my process and actually get better each day, it will take care of itself. I think the beautiful thing is the way this team is set up. We have a ton of playmakers all over the field and I think we had a really good view of that when I got hurt, when Mike [Evans] got hurt and we were still one of the best offenses in the league.

“To me, I look at that as there’s a world of opportunities out there and not just for myself but for all of us. When we’re all healthy, we’re going to be a hell of an offense to try to deal with and that excites me.”

Of course, Godwin has been in this position before, and it also happened to be the last time he signed a new contract with the Bucs. He signed a three-year contract just months after a devastating knee injury that he suffered in December of 2021. While the road back was a long one, he did manage to suit up for Week 1 of the 2022 season.

So, will he be able to it again in 2025 and be available for Tampa Bay’s Week 1 game? Head coach Todd Bowles is hoping that’s the case.

“I’m hoping he’s on the field Week 1,” Bowles said Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach. “I’ll have more to know about that as the month goes on. We’re gonna see how he’s healing and getting running and practicing and everything else. But my hope is for him to be on the field Week 1.”

Reason For Optimism About Chris Godwin’s Week 1 Status?

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: USA Today

While every injury has its own unique aspects and recoveries may differ from player to player, the progress of another Buccaneer on his road back from injury could be reason for optimism regarding Chris Godwin’s status for the regular season opener in September.

Cornerback Bryce Hall, who was re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason, suffered a dislocated ankle and a fractured fibula during Week 1 of the 2024 season. He went on to miss the rest of the season, but his recovery has reached a promising stage as April begins.

“I do know Bryce is running full speed right now,” Bowles said on Tuesday. “He got hurt a lot earlier [than Godwin], obviously, but he’s running full speed right now and he’s ready to go. So, I’m interested to see how he reacts to that.”

Really, though, Hall’s injury wasn’t a lot earlier than Godwin’s. Hall was injured on Sept. 8, while Godwin suffered his injury a month and a half later. So, for simplicity’s sake, you could imagine Godwin is roughly a month and a half behind Hall in his recovery, though he isn’t coming off both a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle.

Conservatively speaking, if Godwin is able to be running full speed even two months from now, he’d presumably be ready to go by the start of training camp at the end of July. He may even be able to lightly participate in mini-camp, but the Bucs are likely to be cautious with him. That caution would extend into training camp, too, even if he is a full go by late July.

With that said, it seems fair to be optimistic about where Chris Godwin is on his road back to the field.

Like Todd Bowles, we’ll know more as the next month or two goes on. But betting on No. 14 to be ready to go by Week 1 feels safe at this moment in time.