Promising Update on Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Chris Godwin

The Tampa Buccaneers might have all their wide receivers ready for their regular season opener. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared with Total Access that wide receiver Chris Godwin shed his knee brace during Monday's practice:

From @NFLTotalAccess: #Bucs WR Chris Godwin shed his knee brace today, a sign of his confidence in his knee. pic.twitter.com/R7uBnlLO61
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 5, 2022

Godwin suffered a devastating ACL tear during the Buccaneers' week 15 contest against the New Orleans Saints last year. Despite the injury, he has practiced extensively this offseason, typically with a non-contact jersey. Doing away with his knee brace is yet another positive step in his recovery and indicative of his increasing readiness to see real action.

Godwin led the Bucs in receiving last year despite his three missed games, and his return could bolster a unit fellow wide receiver Russell Gage has already dubbed potentially the best of all time. Should he need time to ramp up to full speed, Gage is likely to pick up the slack in the slot with former Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Julio Jones manning the outside. Should Godwin arrive at the peak of his powers, the Bucs could field an even more overwhelming offense than last year's, which led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns.

The Bucs open the season on Sunday Night Football on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. The game is a rematch of last year's instant classic NFL Kickoff where Godwin hauled in nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown en route to a 31-29 victory.