“I’ll have more to know about that after [this] month goes on - see how he feels when he gets running and practicing and everything else,” Bowles continued. This makes both Jason Licht and Bowles in the “quietly confident” section on Godwin’s recovery after the 29-year-old dislocated his ankle in Week 7. Godwin certainly appears to have a chance to be ready for Week 1, but we’re probably too far out to reliably forecast that at this point.

“I’m feeling very good about it,” Licht told a Tampa Bay radio station. “He’s where he’s supposed to be. We’re not going to try to set any records for the fastest rehab because we want to make sure everything’s done right and just get him out there for the regular season. Right now, we’re taking it week by week. I’ve said this time and time before, but I would never bet against Chris.” Godwin dislocated his ankle in Week 7 of last season. It wouldn’t be ridiculous if he were ready for the regular season this year, but he’ll likely still be ramping up in training camp at the very least. It will be a situation to monitor for fantasy drafts as a delayed Godwin start could get Jalen McMillan and Mike Evans more involved with the offense early. We wouldn’t make too much of how optimistic Licht sounds as this prime lying about injuries season, but we’d bet Godwin has a solid chance to be ready for Week 1.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Godwin left roughly $20 million on the table to sign elsewhere to return to the Bucs. The veteran receiver will receive $44 million in guaranteed money at signing, and can now focus on his return to the field following a devastating ankle injury that ended his 2024 campaign. Godwin caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games last season, and could make for a nice value in fantasy drafts next season if he’s able to return to his old form.

The Patriots having a chance to pursue Godwin will depend on whether or not the Buccaneers can re-sign the veteran receiver before the start of the new league year. Godwin is coming off a season-ending ankle injury, but could fetch upwards of $25 million per year, according to Giardi. Before his injury, Godwin was playing some of the best football of his career, his 50-576-5 line over seven games had him on pace for a career-year, but how the 29-year-old will perform after returning from a nasty ankle injury is anybody’s guess. Still, an underwhelming free agent market and several wide receiver-needy teams could lead to teams over-spending to bring in the proven vet.