Chris Godwin left Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints with what was then believed to be a severe leg injury. Ian Rapoport has now confirmed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver has torn both his ACL and MCL. Godwin will miss the remainder of the 2021 season and possibly the entirety of the 2022 season. An injury that could not come at a worse time for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Making matters even worse, Godwin is currently playing on the franchise tag. Hard to think of a worse lower-body injury to occur to a player on the verge of entering free agency.
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff: #Bucs WR Chris Godwin tore his ACL and MCL heading into a free agent year, but history shows he could still cash in on big bucks. pic.twitter.com/Bze8dCsssd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 20, 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Chris Godwin Tears ACL and MCL
An unfortunate injury to a superstar-caliber player. Godwin was due up for a massive payday this upcoming spring. Whether it was Tampa Bay or someone else, Godwin was bound to be among the highest-paid receivers in the league. Sadly, that is likely no longer going to be the case. Whoever ends up paying for Godwin could end up being without him for the entire 2022 NFL season.
On the season, Godwin recorded 98 receptions for 1103 yards and five touchdowns. He also registered four rushing attempts for 21 yards and one touchdown. Godwin also compiled 55 first down receptions on the season. A tough end to the year for arguably Tampa Bay’s best receiver.
Due to the nature of his injury, it will be interesting to see how Godwin plays the off-season. Teams may not be willing to give him a multi-year contract without seeing how he performs post-injury. Godwin’s best bet will likely be to take one-year deals until he fully recovers from the injury. If Godwin is willing to bet on himself, then he still has the chance to make bank in the future. The long and grueling recovery from this injury will have to come first though.
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