NFL Trade Rumors: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Chris Godwin to Undergo Ankle Surgery

The balance may have shifted in the NFC South. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin will undergo potentially season-ending surgery today to repair a dislocated ankle suffered in Monday Night Football's 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

#Bucs WR Chris Godwin is scheduled to undergo an MRI this morning before having surgery on his dislocated ankle that most likely will end his 2024 season, per sources. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/p47TAKihnB
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 22, 2024

Godwin went down late in last night's game and required an air cast and the help of a cart to get off the field. The Monday Night Football broadcast deliberately withheld replays due to the ugliness and obvious severity of the injury.

If Godwin is truly done for the year, it's a devastating blow for the Bucs. His 576 receiving yards are the second-most in the league, and the Bucs' 29.9 points per game are fourth-most. The Bucs' second-leading receiver, Mike Evans, also exited early last night after appearing to seriously aggravate an existing hamstring injury. If both Godwin and Evans are going to miss significant time, the effectiveness of the Bucs' offense could very well plummet.

Godwin's injury couldn't have come at a worse time. He's set to hit free agency following this season, and the Bucs have their NFC South rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, on deck for Week 8. They already lost 36-30 in overtime to the Falcons in Week 5; Losing again could cost the Bucs the division.

Given their dearth of pass catchers for the immediate future, the Bucs will need to focus on their run game. Thankfully, they've improved drastically there this season: They're up to eighth in rushing yards per game and fifth in rushing yards per attempt after ranking dead last in both categories in 2022 and 2023. Running backs Bucky Irving, Raachad White, and Sean Tucker could all see their workloads increase in the weeks to come.

Still, an improved run game can only do so much. Ultimately, it's a passing league, and if the Bucs are going to be without Godwin and Evans for the rest of the year, it will take something drastic to salvage their season. Unless they're willing to try and find a long-term replacement for Godwin via a trade, the Bucs may be better off refocusing their energies on coming back strong in 2025.