Chris Godwin injury update: Buccaneers WR returning to practice amid recovery from ankle surgery, per report

Godwin is still working his way back from a devastating ankle injury he suffered midway through the 2024 season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin, who suffered a serious ankle injury in Week 7 of the 2024 season, is expected to return to practice Thursday as a limited participant, according to Ian Rapoport. Godwin began the year on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and has not returned the field in almost a year. 

Godwin's return to practice does not guarantee that he will suit up for Tampa Bay in the near future, but it does track with the timeline that coach Todd Bowles set ahead of the regular season. In August, he indicated that Godwin could return anywhere from Week 2 to Week 5. 

"He's working his way back, he's getting healthier by the day," Bowles said when speaking with reporters. "There's some light at the end of the tunnel. I can't say exactly when, but hopefully sooner than later. I think he's closer to sooner than he is later."  

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Bryan DeArdo

Prior to the injury, which came late in an October loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Godwin was on track for one of the best years of his career. He caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in just seven games. 

Those five touchdowns were his most in a single season since 2021. Godwin was also on pace for a fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. 

The Buccaneers signed the 29-year-old Godwin to a new three-year contract worth $66 million in March. He has been with Tampa Bay ever since the franchise selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.