Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin looks sharp at the early portion of the offseason. Greg Auman of Fox Sports was at Bucs OTAs and minicamps, and one of his biggest takeaways was that Godwin has a chance to get back to his 2024 level of play.

Godwin suffered a fractured left ankle in 2024. It led to him playing in just seven games in 2024, and then nine games in 2025 as he tried to come back, but continued to hit bumps in the road.

Now, Godwin enters a make-or-break season. The team has an option that they can elect to release him at the end of the season. They would save over $13M in cap space, so Godwin will have to be a legitimate piece of the offense for the Bucs to keep him.

If his offseason workouts are anything like his 2026 season, he might get to stay with the Bucs in 2027.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need Chris Godwin to Bounce Back in 2026

The biggest issue for Godwin is that his efficiency cratered when he came back from his injury. In 2024, he only produced 576 yards, but he averaged 2.36 yards per route run. When he was healthy, he was impactful; he just did not see the field enough.

In 2025, he played a bit more, but only had 360 yards. He averaged 1.36 yards per route run. That is a significant drop off.

To make things even more questionable, Godwin is going to be 30 years old this year. That is the age where the NFL starts to lose its speed and does not quite get back to the same levels as it was. So, if Godwin has already lost a bit of burst due to his ankle injury, he might not be able to get it back.

That is why the way he looks in these minicamp sessions is so important to know. Godwin has to show that he has taken that step forward.

Bucs Have a Deeper Wide Receiver Room Than Past Years

The Bucs do not have a bunch of receivers who have broken out yet, but the room is much deeper than it has been in years past.

Emeka Egbuka appears to be separating as the number one. This will make life easier on Godwin as he draws less attention. However, if Godwin cannot beat the easier coverage, the Bucs will try their younger receivers in those spots.

They have Jalen McMillan entering his third NFL season. He was also hurt in year two, but should be more explosive coming back from injury.

The team also drafted Ted Hurst in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is a small school product, but has also been turning heads in these sessions. Once he is ready, the Bucs plan to get him on the field.

They even have Tez Johnson, who produced 322 yards as a rookie. Still, right now, he is staring at the fifth wide receiver spot in year two. So, if things do not go well with Godwin, they will move quickly.