The Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcomed their rookie class at training camp on July 21, and there was an immediate Chris Godwin injury update despite veterans reporting on July 22.
Per Tampa Bay Times insider Rick Stroud: “Bucs WR Chris Godwin, who still is recovering from a dislocated ankle, will not participate in team-related activities to begin training camp. He will continue to rehab with trainers.”
Stroud did not clarify whether Godwin would officially begin on the PUP list or if he’ll just be working off to the side to start Buccaneers training camp.
Either way, it’s clear the veteran star playmaker isn’t fully healthy as of late July, and it seems Tampa Bay is taking things slowly as they progress through his recovery.
Emeka Egbuka’s Presence Lets Buccaneers Remain Patient Amid Chris Godwin Injury Update
Although you’d always like to have your best players on the field, it doesn’t really feel like there’s a major rush to get Godwin back out there. The two reasons for that are first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka and the Buccaneers’ overall wide receiver depth.
Unsurprisingly, ESPN analyst Mike Clay labeled the Bucs WR corps as their “biggest strength” going into the 2025 season on July 21.
“The Buccaneers have had one of the league’s top WR duos for a while in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin,” he began. “Evans (1,000-plus receiving yards all 11 NFL seasons) is entering his age-32 campaign but seemingly hasn’t lost a step. Godwin led the NFL in receptions prior to a season-ending injury and though his status is in doubt for the beginning of 2025, Tampa Bay is well stocked with depth.”
That’s where Egbuka comes in, but it’s not just the first-round rookie who provides injury cover.
“Jalen McMillan (a 2024 third-round pick) scored eight TDs in his final five games of 2024,” Clay reminded, before referencing the Egbuka selection. Tampa Bay also drafted speedy deep threat Tez Johnson to compete with backups like Trey Palmer, Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson, Rakim Jarrett and Ryan Miller.
That’s a lot of quality wide receiver depth, making this one of the more competitive roster battles of Buccaneers training camp this summer.
Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka Called Top 5 Tampa Bay Player to Watch at Training Camp
Buccaneers team reporter Brianna Dix highlighted five Tampa Bay players to watch on July 21, and Egbuka was second on her list.
“On Day One of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers selected Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka with the 19th overall pick, when most pundits had the Bucs taking a defensive player,” she explained. “As a three-year starter for the Buckeyes, Egbuka primarily lined up in the slot. He concluded his collegiate tenure with the most receptions in Ohio State history (205) and the second-most receiving yards.”
“Egbuka has an exceptional feel for coverage voids and how to bait defenders at the break point with subtle fakes,” Dix continued. “His ball-tracking ability and route-running precision were on display during minicamp, and training camp will provide insight on his new role in Josh Grizzard’s offense.”
The team reporter concluded with a quote from head coach Todd Bowles, who said: “[Egbuka is the] total package. He’s a playmaker, he can play all three positions – he plays in the slot, he plays the ‘Z,’ he plays the ‘X,’ he can run with the ball, he can throw the ball, he can catch the ball, he’s a very good route runner, he’s a winner, he makes contested catches, he’s a very precise route runner as well, has a lot of speed at the same time, he blocks at the same time…He checks all of the boxes as a player and as a person. That made it an easy choice.”
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