Chris

Godwin

Beyond George Pickens, who had 900 receiving yards and three touchdowns over 14 games in 2024, the Steelers had precious little in the way of viable wideouts. Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin alternated in operating as the No. 2 receiver for Pittsburgh. “I think we have positions in the wide receiver room we’re going to have to address,” Rooney said. “I think the wide receiver room is an area we’ve got to look at improving.” Rooney’s comments might mean the Steelers will pursue Chris Godwin or Tee Higgins in free agency this spring, or trade up in the NFL Draft for a top-end receiver. Any wideout addition would likely ding Pickens’ target domination in the run-first Steelers offense.

“I mean, I think that’s best-case scenario, right? Like absolute best case. For all involved. Everything lines up. That’s what you kind of aim for,” Godwin said Monday night. He was carted off the field in Week 7 after suffering a dislocated ankle in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Ravens. He had 50 receptions through seven games and was trending toward one of the best seasons of his NFL career. It sounds like the Bucs would have to make a postseason run to get Godwin back in action this year.

Godwin suffered a frightening ankle dislocation near the end of the Bucs’ Monday night loss to the Ravens and was carted off the field. His season is over. It’s a giant blow to the pass-heavy Tampa offense, along with Mike Evans’ apparently serious hamstring injury that could keep him sidelined for a while. Jalen McMillan and Sterling Shepard are set to be the team’s top two wideouts for the time being.

Todd Bowles would later call the injury a “dislocated ankle.” He had seven catches for 65 yards and nine targets before leaving. His leg was trapped under Roquan Smith’s body weight and ESPN refused to show the replay and immediately speculated that Godwin would likely miss the rest of the season as he was aircasted and carted off. With both of Tampa’s top two receivers leaving Monday night with injuries, the fantasy pecking order is suddenly wide open for the Buccaneers.

Godwin had taken a backseat to Mike Evans for two weeks before this game. It was his turn to dominate this time around and he did just that, racking up over 100 yards after the catch on top of his two touchdowns, the second of which was a 55-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter. Godwin has topped 50 yards in every game this year and has yet to fall below five receptions. He was been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL and is topping the charts from a fantasy perspective as well. He is pushing for a WR1 rank in his Week 7 matchup with the Ravens.

How consistent has Godwin’s start been? This evening’s five receptions were actually his fewest of the season. He still reached 60 yards for the fourth time in five games, with the exception being 53 yards in Week 3. Godwin did lose a fumble, but Mike Evans recovered. Baker Mayfield’s overall efficiency is leading to some low attempts totals, but Godwin and Evans dominate target share to the degree that they remain safe WR2s. That includes for next Sunday’s grudge match in New Orleans. With Evans likely to battle nemesis Marshon Lattimore, expect plenty of Godwin looks.

Godwin took a backseat to Mike Evans for the first time this year. He had out-targeted Evans in all three games leading into Week 4, but Evans led the way with 14 looks this time around. Head coach Todd Bowles talked about getting Evans more involved earlier this week, so the target shift shouldn’t come as a surprise. Even with Evans’ target share on the rise, there’s enough volume for both receivers to put up fantasy points. Godwin remains in the WR2 ranks for his Week 5 game against the Falcons.

Godwin was limited in practice throughout the week but is good to go for Sunday. With a team-high 21 receptions for 253 yards and three scores, he enters Week 4 as the clear No. 1 receiver for the Bucs. That will keep him at the top of the fantasy WR2 rankings versus a middling Philly defense.

Godwin was limited on Wednesday with the same injury. The Bucs’ leading receiver should be good to go for Week 4’s matchup against the Eagles, barring any setbacks, and should have plenty of opportunities to produce against a secondary that ranks 18th in passing yards allowed per game. Godwin will be a high-end WR2 if active.

Godwin has been the engine of the Bucs’ passing attack, scoring in all three games and pacing the team with 21 receptions. Unless he gets downgraded to a DNP at some point, fantasy managers can assume head coach Todd Bowles is keeping Godwin’s workload in check during the week and nothing more. He ranks as a high-end WR2 for his Week 4 matchup with the Eagles.