The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to need some help on the perimeter.
On Tuesday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles updated the statuses of his team’s top two receivers and it’s safe to say things aren’t good.
After suffering a brutal leg injury on Monday night, Tampa Bay’s top wideout this season, Chris Godwin, will likely miss the rest of the year, according to Bowles. He also offered a timeline for his other top receiver, Mike Evans. Evans injured his hamstring during the 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and will be down for a while.
Bowles says Evans is likely to return after the team’s bye week. That would set his return as being back for Week 12 against the New York Giants. So he’s likely to miss the next three games.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles said Chris Godwin will be undergoing surgery very soon and will “probably be out for the year.” He said there’s a chance he could come back. He said Mike Evans will likely come back after the bye week.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) October 22, 2024
The Bucs have now lost their top two pass catchers and will need to readjust on the fly. Through seven weeks, Godwin had 50 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns. Evans had 26 receptions for 335 yards and six touchdowns. The next highest receiver as far as receptions are concerned is Sterling Shepard who has caught eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. That’s a steep drop-off.
Tampa Bay will ether need to work a trade or get more from young receivers Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer and Shepard, while also seeing tight end Cade Otton step up and shoulder more of a load.