Bucs HC Bowles Wants Godwin Healthy ‘For The Long Haul’

Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin tore his ACL last December, but he rehabbed well enough to avoid landing on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list at the start of training camp. Still, the team is bringing him along slowly, ensuring that he’s 100% before he gets back to full speed.

The regular season opener is about a month away, so Godwin still has time to potentially make it back in time. But do the Bucs need the 26-year-old receiver ready for their Week 1 matchup against the Cowboys? Head coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that there’s no rush.

“He doesn’t have to be ready. We want him for the long haul. We don’t want him running around, looking good and then getting hurt,” Bowles said. “We’re going through all the protocols and doing all the little things for him. It’s good to see him in pads, but he’s got some tests to pass and some ways to go. We’re not rushing him by no means. We just want him healthy for the long haul, so once we get down the road and make that determination, we’ll go from there. But there’s not a fast way to have him ready for the season.”

Bucs WRs Julio Jones and Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

With an injury as serious as a torn ACL, Tampa Bay is always going to take the necessary precautions. But it has to help that the receiver room is in such good shape even without the two-time 1,000-yard receiver. Mike Evans, Russell Gage and Julio Jones form a better trio than you’ll find on many rosters around the NFL. Not to mention, they have Tom Brady as their quarterback. So, if the Bucs need to give Godwin a bit of extra time and open the season without him, they should feel comfortable doing so.

Godwin returned to practice last week, but has remained limited in terms of participation. The Bucs are keeping him out of full team drills like 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s. That’s the next step for him, but Bowles maintained Tuesday that it’ll all come in due time.

“The trainers and the strength coach will let us know,” he said. “It all depends on how he feels after practice and after lifting and everything. But if he keeps feeling good, it’ll progress to that. I can’t give you an exact date, but we’ll know when they say something.”

Bowles On Godwin Overcoming The Mental Hurdle

Returning to football from any type of surgery can come with both a physical and a mental hurdle. For a wide receiver, the physical side of it is all about speed and movement. But the mental block can be real. Overcoming any fear or hesitation to burst off the line of scrimmage or cut on a route is a part of the comeback process. Bowles said Tuesday that he thinks the first bit of contact is when most players can overcome that challenge.

“I think for most injured guys, it’s getting hit and falling down and getting acclimated,” he said. “Once you get hit and do something and you fall down and [think] ‘Oh, man, that’s all right,’ then you start feeling a lot better about yourself. You can be healthy going in and you can pass all the tests. I think until you get hit and fall down, it doesn’t truly go away, regardless of who you are.”

As for when Godwin might get the chance to face that test and overcome it, Bowles said it’ll be up to him and how he responds to the work he’s putting in.

“Everybody’s different,” he said. “Chris is tough. He’s smart. He knows when he knows, and it’ll be something he’ll have to feel.”

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