Chris Godwin Jr. has long been trusted as the Bucs’ longest-tenured player and the second-best wide receiver in franchise history.

Why then is Godwin being treated like an afterthought?

His diminished role in offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s offense isn’t because the 30-year-old doesn’t have it anymore. After a solid training camp where he looked more explosive, the veteran wideout appeared destined for a bounce-back year. Will that Godwin emerge against the Panthers in Week 7?

Zac Robinson Responds To Getting Chris Godwin Jr. More Targets

Regarding Zac Robinson’s offense, there are many questions and not enough answers.

The Bucs have regressed on that side of the ball, even compared to last season under former offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. The operation as a whole is out of sync, with the passing game leaning far too much on underneath routes and not providing opportunities for Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. to get downfield and create separation.

Driving this home is the fact neither Egbuka nor Godwin is averaging even 10 yards per catch. For Godwin, his 9.4 yards-per-catch is a career low, even less than the 9.8 yards-per-catch he had in 2022 returning from a torn ACL and playing in Byron Leftwich’s offense. At least during that campaign, he was a high-volume target with 104 catches.

Now, he barely gets the ball.

Robinson assessed the situation and shared his plan to get Godwin more involved going forward.

“I think he ended up with a decent amount of targets – I don’t know what exactly it was last week,” Robinson said. “But yeah, I mean, again, we’ve got to get all these guys going. I think it first starts with our level of detail across the board. You know, we’ve got to be a lot better. I mean, we had a pretty tough meeting, honestly, on Monday just talking about the pass game and the missed opportunities and the lack of detail that we showed.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin Jr. and OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“We’ve got to get ‘C.G.’ going. Obviously, coverage can dictate certain things. Route detail and the timing of when things are happening, those things matter as well. We’ve got to all get on the same page because the pass game has not been good enough by any standard, and we’ve got to get a lot better. It starts with me, and it starts with the rest of the guys knowing that they can execute at a higher level.”

Robinson’s responses to questions are frustrating, because his default answers are that he wants to get his playmakers more opportunities and the level of detail haven’t been there. Just when one thinks that means change is imminent, the same results have come on Sunday.

Regarding Godwin, perhaps that changes out of necessity in Week 7 against the Panthers. Egbuka did not participate during Wednesday or Thursday’s practices as he is listed on the injury report battling a concussion and a foot injury. If he is unable to go, the targets have to go somewhere.

Why not to “CG?”

Bucs WR Chris Godwin Jr. – Photo by: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In A Must-Win Bucs Game, Baker Mayfield Must Find Chris Godwin Jr.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield spoke with the media on Thursday as he returns following a three-game absence. Pewter Report asked Mayfield about Godwin’s usage, and he realizes the two have to get on the same page and connect more often.

“Chris [Godwin Jr.] and I have such a good relationship,” Mayfield said. “There’s been a ton of things that I think I can get the ball to him quicker, same with when ‘J.D.’ [Jalon Daniels] was playing. We have to feature him more, but it comes down to also just being on the same page, executing the pass details.

“I mean, that meeting that we had, just making sure that we’re in the right spots at the right time. Chris is a true pro; he knows how to handle that stuff. He’s a guy that…You just [have] to get him more touches. He’s not an easy guy to bring down. It’s not going to be flashy, but he’s a guy that if you get him more and more involved, your offense is going to thrive.”

There is no better time than now to get Chris Godwin Jr. more touches as the stakes for this Bucs team have never been higher.

At 1-5, a win on Sunday gives them one final lifeline to save their season as they attempt to win as many NFC South games as possible and climb back. A loss on the other hand would all but force the front office to consider a fire sale, one that Godwin would likely be a part of.

His $22 million salary next season is not guaranteed, making him a potentially expendable piece should the team want to get younger at wide receiver and allocate money elsewhere. All Godwin is focused on is being in the right place; the offense just has to find him.