For Chris Godwin, this offseason was much different from last year. That’s because he spent last summer rehabbing the torn ACL and MCL he suffered in December of 2021, and so much of his energy went toward that rather than taking time away to recover from the previous season.

This year, the 27-year-old was actually able to enjoy his time off before getting ramped up for the Bucs’ first day of training camp on Wednesday.

“Summer was great. I got a lot of time to relax and unwind,” Godwin said after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s good to have a summer to get to enjoy as opposed to just doing rehab the whole time, so I’m blessed for that.”

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While Godwin did get to enjoy himself throughout the offseason, he was still around the area and showed up for OTAs at the AdventHealth Training Center back in May. Those workouts are always voluntary, but the seventh-year receiver was happy to be around for them. He said Wednesday that the Tampa weather is part of what kept him around during the offseason.

“I love Tampa, so I want to be here,” Godwin said. “It’s good waking up and seeing sunny days most of the time. It’s a blessing.”

And there’s no doubt that Chris Godwin will feel blessed to be in the condition he’s in now as opposed to last July when he was dealing with both the physical and mental hurdles that came with his recovery from surgery. His ACL/MCL injury came late in the 2021 season, so he was still very much in the thick of his rehab process when training camp began last year. So, it’s understandable that the first day of camp this year’s camp gave him a jolt of excitement after he missed out on day one last year.

“The two [first days] I kind of think about are last year and this year because those are the most recent ones. Last year, obviously, I wasn’t able to be part of it,” Godwin said. “So just being out there is exciting, getting to get acclimated with the guys at the same time as opposed to playing catch-up for the entirety of camp. It’s just fun.”

Feeling “So Much Better,” Chris Godwin Is Ready To Help The Bucs Win

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While his recovery from knee surgery was a long and grueling process, Chris Godwin did manage to make it back for the Bucs’ 2022 season opener. On the team’s first offensive possession, he took a short pass from Tom Brady and picked up 24 yards. That got him back into the swing of things initially, but a hamstring injury forced him out of action shortly after that. He missed the next two games before making it back for Week 4.

In his first season post-ACL/MCL injury, Godwin did exceptionally well for himself. Including the playoffs, he caught 114 passes to set a single-season franchise record. He also posted his third career 1,000-yard receiving season, finishing the regular season with 1,023 yards.

But as good as it was to see Godwin get back on the field in 2022, it’s always the expectation for a player to fully return to form in the second season after a knee injury like his. And with the way he’s feeling now, he should be in good position to look like the old Chris Godwin when the 2023 season rolls around in about six weeks.

“I would say overall, my body is just feeling so much better,” Godwin said. “It’s like the difference between being kind of like survival mode and being in a position to be able to perform at a high level, recover and then bounce back and do it again.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I’m grateful for the experience I got last year because it tests your perseverance, it tests your character and stuff like that. So, I grew a lot from it. I was fortunate to be able to make it back in time to actually play last season and still put up some decent performances. I’m excited about this year, man. I’m excited to be here healthy, excited to get out there and work with the guys.”

While Godwin put up some big-time numbers in some areas last season, his touchdown total dropped to three, and he posted a career-low when it came to yards per catch, finishing with a 9.8 average. Asked Wednesday if he would like to get that average back up in 2023, he chose to focus on what he can do to help the Bucs win more games this season.

“I would like to hope so. But when I look at it, to be honest, I’m really just trying to get better each day. Stats, they kind of come and go,” Godwin said. “I feel like if I’m focused on my stats too much, then I’m worried about the wrong thing. We’ve got a ton of guys here that are working hard, that are working their tails off and I’d be wrong to just be focused on myself.

“So, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help lead the guys and be a part of the team. I really want to win games. So whatever I can do to help us do that, if that’s more yards per catch or if that’s what I had last year, if it’s producing more wins then I’m happy.”