Skip to main content
Advertising

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Decisions on Chris Godwin Jr., Tristan Wirfs Status to Come at End of Week

After practicing in limited fashion last week, WR Chris Godwin Jr. and T Tristan Wirfs could see their workload ramped up in Week Four and, if that goes well, perhaps even a return to the field on game day

godwin

In 2025, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned all five starters on an offensive line that helped the team finish 2024 as the only offense ranked in the NFL's top five in both rushing and passing yards. By Week Three, none of those five players were manning the positions they played all of last season.

In the name of continuity after the Buccaneers scored the fourth most points in the NFL last year on the way to a fourth straight NFC South title, the team also retained every single player who had gained a yard rushing or receiving for the team in 2024. However, two of the team's anticipated top four receivers – Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan – have yet to play and franchise icon Mike Evans left Sunday's win over the New York Jets in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.

Suffice to say, the Buccaneers' offense could use some reinforcements.

Those may be on the way in Week Four in the forms of Godwin and All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs. Godwin suffered an ankle dislocation and other related injuries in Week Seven of last season and subsequently had surgery. Wirfs had arthroscopic knee surgery in July. Neither of them were placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to start the regular season, an indication that there was hope they could return to game action before Week Five. Both practiced in a limited fashion last week without any indication they would play on Sunday against the Jets.

Now the team is hoping they both take one more big step towards getting back on the field on game days. That could mean practicing with the starters this week and seeing how their respective injured joints respond.

"They started practicing last week," said Head Coach Todd Bowles on Monday. "We've got to see the progression of how they handle everything, and then we'll make that decision at the end of the week."

View the top images of Tampa Bay's 29-27 victory against the New York Jets on Sunday, September 21st, 2025 at Raymond James Stadium.

With Wirfs still sidelined and both starting right guard Cody Mauch and starting right tackle Luke Goedeke landing on injured reserve last week, the Buccaneers started a line they never would have imagined back in June. Starting center Graham Barton played left tackle for the third game in a row with second-year man Elijah Klein making his first NFL start next to him at left guard. Ben Bredeson, usually the left guard, remained at center for the third straight game and Luke Haggard, just promoted from the practice squad, played right guard in his first career NFL action. Veteran Charlie Heck made his first start as a Buccaneer at right tackle.

Presumably, when Wirfs is at full strength, some of those position changes will be reversed. If he resumes his spot at left tackle, where he was a first-team Associated Press All-Pro last year, Barton could move back to center and Bredeson back to left guard. The Bucs could have such options at right guard as Klein, Haggard, recently-signed veteran Dan Feeney or current practice squad member Michael Jordan, who started the first two games of the season before incurring his own injury that made him unavailable in Week Three.

However, the Buccaneers, who have already had to get creative with their O-line combinations, could base this week's lineup on just how close to 100% Wirfs is, should he make his return.

"That'll be a big discussion depending on how he's moving this week, depending on what side he's moving better on," said Bowles. "If he has a side he's moving better on, then who played guard better… [Those are] discussions we've got to have in the next day or so."

Unsurprisingly, the Buccaneers have been unable to match their per-game output from 2024 through the first three weeks of the current season, dropping from 399.6 yards per game to 322.3 and from 29.5 points per game to 24.0. Of course, the only statistic they really care about producing is more points than their opponent in each contest. So far, they've been able to do that in part due to the late-game heroics of quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has still managed to produce a 99.5 passer rating and a 6-0 TD-INT ratio without much of his usual supporting cast. There is obviously the promise of much more when some of those missing pieces return to game readiness, and the Buccaneers hope that proves to be the case for Godwin and Wirfs in Week Four.

Related Content

Latest Headlines

2025 Home Games

Eagles vs. Buccaneers

Week 4

September 28

1:00 PM ET

49ers vs. Buccaneers

Week 6

October 12

1:00 PM ET

Patriots vs. Buccaneers

Week 10

November 9

1:00 PM ET

Cardinals vs. Buccaneers

Week 13

November 30

1:00 PM ET

Saints vs. Buccaneers

Week 14

December 7

1:00 PM ET

Falcons vs. Buccaneers

Week 15

December 11

8:15 PM ET

Panthers vs. Buccaneers

Week 18

January 4

Time TBD

Advertising