The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Washington Commanders on Wild Card Weekend. Since the Bucs advanced to the postseason, will they be able to get back star wide receiver Chris Godwin at any point during their playoff run?

What Is Chris Godwin’s Injury?

The Buccaneers were 4-2 and looked like the top team in the NFC South entering Tampa Bay’s Week 7 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and Godwin’s play was a big reason for the team’s success.

Unfortunately, Godwin suffered a devastating ankle injury late in the fourth quarter against Baltimore.

Shortly after, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that Godwin suffered a left ankle dislocation that caused him to miss the remainder of the regular season.

Recently, head coach Bowles provided an update on Godwin’s chance of returning.

“You guys have asked a lot, but Todd Bowles said neither Chris Godwin nor SirVocea Dennis are in position to return from longterm injuries, even in a deep playoff,” Fox Sports writer Greg Auman posted.

Godwin had previously said that he was aiming for a return during the postseason, but apparently, that goal wasn’t realistic.

Godwin is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Before suffering the injury, Godwin was on pace for the best season of his NFL career, catching 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns through seven games.

Todd Bowles Criticized For Playing Godwin in Garbage Time

Bowles took a lot of heat after he left Godwin in the game against the Ravens, as the Bucs were basically out of the game, eventually losing 41-31.

Bowles defended his decision at the time, saying the Bucs still had a slim chance of winning.

“He’s a player. We’re trying to win the ball game,” Bowles said about the decision to keep Godwin in the game. “We were still down 10. We’re trying to get extra points and kick another onside kick. [The injury] just happened.”

Bowles did not appreciate the media questioning his decision to keep Godwin in the game because he thought his team still had a chance to pull off the victory.

“You can say that because he got hurt. We don’t second-guess,” Bowles said in October. “We’ve got our guys. We’re playing everybody we’ve got. It’s unfortunate he got hurt, but he’s a football player and he wants to be in the game, just like Baker [Mayfield] and everybody else wanted to be in the game.”

Godwin’s injury hasn’t affected the Bucs too much, as rookie Jalen McMillan has stepped up and Mike Evans continue to produce at a high level.

Since Week 12, Evans leads the NFL in receiving yards (669), while McMillan is tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns (seven).

Still, Bucs fans were holding out hope that Godwin would return, giving the Bucs all of their weapons.

Dennis’ absence due to a shoulder injury has arguably impacted the Bucs even more than Godwin’s injury, as he was their best coverage linebacker and Tampa Bay isn’t nearly at deep at linebacker as they are at wide receiver.