The Tampa Bay Buccaneers further buffed up the wide receivers' room on Tuesday when they signed Julio Jones, but that's not the only roster move they made ahead of camp. Star wideout Chris Godwin was cleared to return to practice and take part in training camp, a surprising revelation after he underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in January. According to Rick Stroud, neither Godwin nor LaVonte David will start the season on the PUP list, a major boost for the Bucs at the start of camp.
Godwin has made a remarkable recovery after undergoing surgery to repair his ACL on Jan. 3, 2022. Less than eight months later, Godwin is back at practice for the Buccaneers.
To put that in comparison, Washington Commanders EDGE rusher Chase Young suffered a torn ACL back in November. His status for Week 1 of the regular season remains uncertain, despite having sustained his knee injury almost two months prior to Godwin.
With Godwin back in the mix, Tom Brady will have his best arsenal of receivers since joining the Buccaneers. Mike Evans will remain as his premier option in the passing game, flanked by Godwin, Jones, Russell Gage, and Breshad Perriman, among others. Additionally, Cameron Brate and Kyle Rudolph will look to be involved in the passing game in 2022.
Stroud indicated that the Buccaneers planned to exercise caution with Godwin in his return to practice, but he's been cleared to participate in camp, which is a huge step in the right direction.
Last season, Godwin racked up 98 catches for 1,103 yards and 5 touchdowns across 14 games. His season was cut short after a low hit blew out his knee during a matchup with the New Orleans Saints.