Buccaneers' Wide Receiver Ranked in NFL's 'Bounce-Back' Players for 2025
Buccaneers' Wide Receiver Ranked in NFL's 'Bounce-Back' Players for 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After Chris Godwin was lost for the season last year in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking forward to his return in 2025.
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Godwin was leading the NFL with 50 catches and 576 yards when he went down last season. He also had posted five touchdowns.
The Bucs are hoping for a healthy return in 2025 where they can add him to a re-tooled wideout room that includes former Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Emeka Egbuka, who general manager Jason Licht grabbed with the No. 19 overall pick in the first round this year.
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton has Godwin No. 8 on his list of the top bounce-back candidates for 2025.
"Before Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle in Week 7 of the previous season, he averaged 82.3 receiving yards per game, his second-highest rate in a single term," Moton wrote. "Some managers have concerns about Godwin because of his recovery timetable, the Buccaneers losing offensive coordinator Liam Coen and the addition of rookie first-round wideout Emeka Egbuka. While those factors cloud Godwin's outlook, he remains the Buccaneers' most dynamic receiver, still in his prime. At 31, Mike Evans barely kept his 1,000-yard receiving season streak alive last year. Entering his second term, Jalen McMillan is in the early stages of development. Egbuka has to earn quarterback Baker Mayfield's trust as a reliable receiver.
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"The Buccaneers promoted pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard to replace Coen. So, they won't go through a complete reset in the passing game. If healthy, Godwin will remain a key playmaker in what could be an aggressive aerial attack. In 2021 and 2022, he finished 15th and 19th, respectively, in fantasy scoring among wide receivers."
Related: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Compared to 3-Time Super Bowl Champ
Related: Buccaneers Just Miss Top 10 NFL Power Rankings Placement
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
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