Will Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin play in Week 1? 'I don't think any of us know that yet'

2022-09-24 02:47:02 By : Ms. Stacy Zhang

Will Chris Godwin suit up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener Sunday night?

Perhaps that's a question Godwin doesn't even know the answer to.

Looking to return from a torn ACL that cut his 2022 season short, Godwin left his status for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys up in the air with recent comments.

"That's a great question," Godwin said when asked if he'd be ready to play in Week 1 on the In the Moment with David Greene podcast, which was released on Tuesday. "I don't think any of us know that yet."

While Godwin's comments were released Tuesday, promising news came a day earlier when Godwin was seen at Bucs practice sans a knee brace on his surgically repaired knee. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport noted Monday it was an encouraging sign that the receiver was headed in the right direction.

Godwin's 2021 campaign ended in Week 15, forcing him to miss the Buccaneers' final three games of the regular season, along with their postseason run. He still turned in a career-high 98 receptions and his second career 1,000-yard season. With his knee injury coming as late in the season as it did, it would not be a huge surprise for him to miss the opener, but it might well be a decision that's still to be determined this week.

"It's all gonna come down to feel," Godwin said. "Cause I understand what I'm capable of doing on the field when healthy. But I also understand what I'm capable of pushing through."

There's also a question of timing. Godwin missed the final stretch of the season and a playoff run that extended to the NFC Championship Game. He was still the team's leading receiver (by 24 catches) and frontrunner in receiving yardage. Is it worth it to get back a little quicker for the opening of the season, or to a run a more cautious route in the hopes of increasing the odds that he lasts throughout the end of the campaign?

"In the grand scheme of things, I don't think it matters that much," said Godwin of making it back for Week 1. "I would love to be there for the entire season, but I think what's more important is being there for the second half of the season. Being there for what I missed last year."

Heading into his age-26 season, Godwin should have plenty of seasons ahead of him, but he underscored making the most intelligent decision on his road back to the gridiron.

"I push to get back as soon as I can," Godwin said, "while being smart at the same time."

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After missing the first two weeks of the season with a groin injury, Niners TE George Kittle does not have an injury designation for Sunday' night's game versus the Denver Broncos and is set to return to the field.

Jameis Winston and Alvin Kamara are among a handful of key Saints who could miss Week 3 as both are listed as questionable for Sunday's Saints-Panthers showdown in Charlotte.

Whether Justin Herbert will give it a go Sunday -- broken rib cartilage and all -- is still to be determined as the Los Angeles Chargers star quarterback is questionable for Sunday's home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Colts HC Frank Reich said Friday that Michael Pittman is "ready to go" after missing Week 2 due to a quad injury. Rookie Alec Pierce will also play after clearing concussion protocol.

Browns linebacker Anthony Walker suffered a season-ending torn quadriceps tendon in Thursday's 29-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

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The Seattle Seahawks offense hasn't scored a single point in the past six quarters ahead of Week 3's bout with the Atlanta Falcons. With that backdrop, quarterback Geno Smith stated the obvious Thursday: "We need to score."

Carl Lawson is set to face off against his former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday in Week 3, but the New York Jets pass rusher insists he's not any more amped up for this game than any other.

The Pittsburgh Steelers once again felt the absence of T.J. Watt in Thursday night's 29-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns, dropping to 0-6 without him.

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb generated 113 rushing yards on 23 carries and scored the game-sealing touchdown on fourth-and-1. Thursday marked Chubb's 15th game with 100-plus rush yards and at least one TD since he entered the league in 2018.

In the immediate aftermath of Thursday night's 29-17 loss to the division-rival Cleveland Browns, Tomlin gave a definitive answer to whether or not he will re-evaluate Mitchell Trubisky as the team's starting quarterback.

After being traded to Cleveland from Dallas in the offseason, wide receiver Amari Cooper has found initial success with his new team, pairing up with Jacoby Brissett to lead the Browns to victory over the Steelers on Thursday night. Of the trade, Brissett said "I'm glad they did it."

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