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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to lose wide receiver Chris Godwin for the rest of the season after he suffered a dislocated left ankle in Monday’s 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Godwin will undergo surgery, and while there’s a small chance he could return if the team makes a deep playoff run, it’s likely he’ll be out for the year.
“There’s a chance if we make a late playoff run, he could be back,” Bowles said of Godwin, whom he said did have some additional structural damage to the ankle, “but he’s undergoing surgery and he’s going to be out.”
Mike Evans, the Bucs’ other star receiver, also left the game with a hamstring strain. Bowles described it as a “moderate” strain, and Evans is expected to miss a few weeks. He likely won’t return until after the team’s Week 11 bye, which means the Buccaneers will face the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers without their top two receivers.
Evans entered Monday’s game already dealing with a hamstring issue but played after limited practice. However, he aggravated the injury during a 24-yard sprint in the second quarter and had to leave the game.
“It’s pretty sore. I don’t know what the significance of that is either, but he’s going to miss a couple weeks,” Bowles said.
Buccaneers’ Next Steps Without Star Receivers
Godwin’s injury occurred in the final minute when he was tackled by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. The NFL is reviewing the play for a possible hip-drop tackle, which could lead to a fine. The Bucs are exploring options to fill the gaps left by their injured receivers, but Bowles made it clear that a big trade is unlikely.
“We’ve looked at outside the building, but to get a true No. 1 in here, you got to make some massive trades and give up quite a bit. That’s not where we are at this point,” Bowles said. “We feel comfortable with the guys in the building. They’re probably not of name status of Mike and Chris or as accomplished right now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play. We’ll alter some things and [Rakim] Jarrett will be back this week. We’ll look at him in practice as well and we’ll make a decision off of that.
“But to go out and get a guy to come in here and be a No. 1 and a dominant guy is probably going to cost you half your team, and we feel comfortable with the guys we have in here now and we know what their skill sets are and we’re going to go with them right now.”
Coach Bowles Confident in Current Receiving Corps
McMillan, who had a promising preseason, has had a quiet start to the season, dealing with a hamstring injury. He had just three catches for 15 yards against the Ravens. Other options include veteran Sterling Shepard, who caught one pass for 15 yards on Monday, and second-year receiver Trey Palmer, who missed time due to a concussion.
The Buccaneers have generally preferred to develop their own talent, a strategy that worked during the Tom Brady era when they added key free agents like Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown. Bowles emphasized the team’s faith in its young players, especially as they push for another playoff run.
“If there are smart moves out there for us to make, we’re definitely looking to make moves all the time, if it benefits us,” Bowles said. “At the same time, we believe in developing our young receivers and getting those guys ready to play, and that’s what coaching is for. You can’t just go out and grab every $50 million receiver and come in and automatically expect them to play. You got to have some faith in what the young guys are doing and the growth that they’re doing, and we’re confident in those guys and we’re going to play with them.”
Tykee Smith Enters Concussion Protocol
On top of the injuries to Godwin and Evans, rookie nickelback Tykee Smith left Monday’s game with a concussion. Smith had been a standout on defense, forcing fumbles in back-to-back games and recording his first interception in Week 6. He’s currently in concussion protocol, and his status for next week’s game is uncertain.
“He is in concussion protocol on a short week,” Bowles said. “We’ll see what happens, but that’s usually tough on a short week.”
As the Buccaneers prepare for their next few games without two of their biggest offensive weapons, they’ll need other players to step up if they hope to maintain their strong start to the season.
Related Content: Bucs Lose Evans, Chris Godwin to Injuries in Monday Night Defeat
This report used information from ESPN.
