Chris Godwin will undergo surgery on his dislocated ankle this week, ending his 2024 season and potentially his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The star receiver was taken off in the final moments of Monday night’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and had his left leg in a cast.
It has now been revealed that he dislocated his ankle and will see a doctor today to determine the full extent of the damage, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Godwin is expected to make a full recovery by the start of the 2025 season, but he will be a free agent by then and it is unclear who his next game will be for.
Godwin, 28, was selected by the Bucs in the third round of the 2017 Draft and has played eight seasons in Tampa Bay, the entirety of his professional career.
Bucs star receiver Chris Godwin carted off field with left ankle in cast
Godwin immediately suffered intense pain after suffering the injury with 53 seconds left.
On Monday night, Godwin suffered the injury after making a catch and being knocked to the turf.
As he lay on the grass, his left leg could be seen twisted in the wrong direction.
After medical staff treated Godwin and applied a cast to his leg, his Buccaneers teammates were distraught as they surrounded him.
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield was seen banging his helmet on the grass in frustration over the injury.
After the Buccaneers loss, footage emerged of Godwin not being able to walk at all and being taken to the trainers’ room.
Godwin has spent his entire professional career in Tampa Bay since being drafted in 2017.
Baltimore defeated Tampa Bay 41-31 and the Ravens almost scored all of their unanswered points thanks to the dominance of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
The Buccaneers had already lost top receiver Mike Evans to a leg injury early in the game.
‘There’s no way around it. We’re going to have to look this in the face and face it head on,” Mayfield said of the losses to two of the team’s star players.
Now, the Buccaneers will likely head into the immediate future without their top two wide receivers, who rank second in the NFC South.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles received some criticism after the game for leaving one of his best players on the field with less than two minutes left in a game his team couldn’t win.
Godwin greeted the crowd knowing his season was over due to the severity of his ankle injury.
“It’s unfortunate that he (Chris Godwin) got hurt and we feel bad about that. But he’s a football player and he wanted to be in the game just like Baker and everyone else wanted to be in the game,” Bowles said afterward. of the party.
Ravens and Buccaneers players were seen at midfield praying together for Godwin’s well-being.
Off the field, Godwin has become well-liked in the Tampa community in part for his charity work.
Godwin and his wife, Mariah, founded the Team Godwin Foundation, whose mission is to “give at-risk animals a second chance through advocacy and financial support,” according to their website.