Heading into 2023 two seasons removed from the torn ACL he suffered late in 2021, Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin is ready to have a big season.

Many receivers would be happy to post the numbers he had last year, but it was something of a “down year” for someone with his talent. He set a career-high with 104 receptions for 1,023 yards with three touchdowns. But he was not 100%. For skill position players, their bounce-back season usually comes after two years of recovery.

It was a long road for him, and the numbers suggest he was not as explosive as usual, averaging just 9.8 yards per reception and recording his first touchdown in Week 10. He had only three scores last year, the lowest mark since his rookie year.

Some of this can be attributed to the screen passes that were prominent in former offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich’s offense, but he also failed to get downfield and accumulate yards after reception.

Now he hopes to leave that all in the past, and both Godwin and the team are excited to see him back to his old self.

Bucs HC Bowles Looking For Chris Godwin “To Make Plays”

With Godwin looking to improve and return to making more plays, head coach Todd Bowles is happy to see him as OTAs started this week. With Mike Evans and Godwin leading the depth chart, they are entrusted with being key cogs on offense and positively influencing the younger players.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It’s great for him – he needs the work,” Bowles said this week. “The young guys need to see somebody that’s done it, but they’re all learning a new offense, so they’re doing it at the same time. But his professionalism and a lot of guys that are around here, their professionalism helps out.”

Godwin is a consummate pro who comes in, keeps his head down, and works. This mindset allowed him to return from his injury against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 last season and have a bigger impact than expected.

With a new play-caller in town in Dave Canales, there has been discussion of lining him up more on the outside, similar to what the Seahawks did on offense with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. But Bowles just wants him to make plays, wherever he lines up.

“Everybody knows he’s a great player, so when they see ’14’ out there, there’s going to be attention directed towards him – whether he’s in the boundary to the field, in the slot, or outside because he’s that good of a football player,” Bowles added. “He takes care of his body. Obviously, he came back from the injury in great shape. I think they’re going to continue to key him, but obviously, the good players get paid attention to. He continues to make plays, so we’re looking for him to continue to make plays.”

Chris Godwin Getting Back Explosiveness, Fearlessness

One receiver for the Bucs was recently chronicled as being fearless to just about anything. Chris Godwin will also be looking to be fearless and explosive with the ball in his hands. As a Pro Bowler in 2019, he averaged 15.5 yards per reception and had over 1,300 receiving yards.

What is encouraging is that Godwin put up those numbers without Tom Brady, as Jameis Winston was under center that season. He will have a new quarterback this season, whether that is Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask. Seeing him out there already, Mayfield already has takeaways from one of the new weapons he has to work with.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

“He’s got that fearlessness to run across the middle and make these catches and go in and dig people out in the blocking game, Mayfield said. “That’s the greatest part about this system is it puts people in positions that keep defenses off guard.”

Having the past few months to rest and recover from what was a season-long test of his toughness and stamina, Godwin has felt a noticeable difference compared to last year.

“It was a night and day difference between last year and this year,” Godwin said. “All this time last year, I was inside doing rehab on my own. Those were very long days, and you kind of watch out the window. It’s like you’re a kid that got in trouble, and you’re watching all your friends outside, playing and having fun. To be out here now, it’s a blessing. It was a lot of hard work.

“I took some much-needed rest right after the season. But I’m feeling really good. I feel really good with where I’m at. It’s a fresh year [with] fresh opportunities for myself and all the guys around.”

Not only is he participating in OTAs and getting back in the “lab,” but there is a new offensive chemist on hand to cook up plays to get the ball into the hands of the offensive playmakers. From what has been seen so far, Dave Canales has been an off-season standout.

From his press conferences, one can tell he is dedicated to his craft and has a thorough answer to nearly every question. He possesses great energy and treats every player on the roster on the same level.

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In the recent rookie mini-camp, he ran numerous drills with the camp quarterbacks and stood by coaching them up. These are players who will not make the roster, much less play meaningful snaps.

But Canales is someone who brings the juice and is eager to teach. It has won over young Bucs and veterans alike. Count Godwin as someone who enjoys his presence.

“I like him, I really do, Godwin added. “I think the first thing that really comes to mind is he’s a very smart guy. You can tell that he, one, really loves ball, but he really knows what he wants to do in terms of installing the offense and attacking defenses. I think that that really comes off in meetings; it comes off in how he delivers the messaging to guys in the meeting room and on the field.

“I think the guys really respond well to that. He’s not really like a yeller, he’s not trying to cuss guys out, and he’s not trying to berate guys. He’s a teacher, and he wants to effectively communicate that. It’s been working so far. We had a really good first day, and guys are flying around – the intensity is high. It kind of felt like a training camp practice, so I think it’s going to be really cool watching this whole thing develop.”

The Bucs’ $20 million receiver stands to benefit from having a new offensive coordinator who will look to put him in advantageous positions all over the field. Until the start of this season, he will spend each day preparing and working alongside some new faces. In a lot of ways, it is a fresh start for a more explosive Chris Godwin.