TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers guard Chris Godwin will undergo surgery on a dislocated left ankle, likely to be completed by the end of the year, manager Todd Bowles said Tuesday as the star wide receiver was removed from the field in the final seconds of the game. It was announced the day after. When they lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.
“If the playoffs get delayed, there’s a chance he could come back,” Bowles said of Godwin, adding that he has more structural damage to his ankle. “But he’s had surgery and will be out. It will be,” he said.
Mike Evans, the Bucs’ other star receiver and franchise leading scorer, will be sidelined for “several weeks” after suffering what Coach Bowles described as a “moderate” hamstring strain. He said Evans likely won’t return until after the team’s Week 11 bye week, and he was the team’s leading offensive receiver in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco. He said this means nearly 50% will disappear. 49ers in Week 10.
Evans entered the game with a hamstring strain, missed practice on Thursday and Friday, and had limited practice on Saturday, but entered the game without being listed as injured. However, during a 24-yard sprint into the end zone on the go route, Evans injured another part of his hamstring. He fell onto the grass and immediately grabbed the back of his leg.
“It hurts pretty bad. I don’t know what that means, but he’s going to be out for a few weeks,” Bowles said.
Godwin’s injury occurred when he was tackled from behind by Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith. Officials told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the league is considering whether the play contained all the elements of a hip-drop tackle, which became illegal this offseason and could result in a fine. There is a possibility that he will be fined.
The team spent Tuesday evaluating what options it has for receiver help, both internally and externally. Evans and Godwin entered Week 7 tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns with five each, with Evans scoring his sixth with a 25-yard touchdown on the opening drive of Monday night’s game.
“We’ve been looking at things outside of the building, but to really get to No. 1 here, we’re going to have to make some big trades and give up a lot. We’re not that far at this point. We’re not there yet,” Bowles said. “We feel comfortable with the players that we have in this building. They probably don’t have the name recognition or the track record that Mike or Chris have, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play. We have some change the [Rakim] Jarrett returns this week. I’ll watch him in practice and make a decision based on the results.
“But to go out and get a player here and be a No. 1, dominant player, it probably costs half the team, and we’re happy with the players we have here right now and they ‘I know the skill set, so I’m going to go right now. ”
The Bucks invested a third-round draft pick in rookie wideout Jalen McMillan. McMillan had a strong training camp but had a quiet start to the season, missing two games with a hamstring injury. He collected three catches on eight targets and gained 15 receiving yards Monday.
Veteran Sterling Shepard, Mayfield’s former Oklahoma teammate, had one catch for 15 yards on one target. Second-year receiver Trey Palmer, who missed two games with a concussion, was active against the Ravens, but had just one catch and three targets. Bowles said he will be able to take on a “full workload.” The Bucks designated Jarrett to return from injured reserve on Oct. 17, beginning a 21-day practice period for Jarrett and making him available for activation at any time.
The Bucks made some big free agent signings during the Tom Brady era, including trading for Rob Gronkowski and signing Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette, and Le’Veon Bell, but the team’s preferred position is , to draft, develop and re-sign their own. Players, as we’ve seen over the past few free agent signing periods.
Evans and Godwin’s accomplishments helped Mayfield get off to the best start statistically of his career thus far this season, scoring 18 touchdowns through the first seven games of the regular season, more than any other quarterback in the league. , culminated in him completing 70.5% of his passes. . Coach Bowles acknowledged that he understands the desire to look elsewhere, but he doesn’t believe his team has the talent it needs despite competing for a fourth consecutive district championship and a fifth straight playoff berth. He emphasized that the company has a track record of nurturing people.
“If there’s a smart move for us, if it benefits us, we’re definitely always willing to make it,” Bowles said. “At the same time, we believe in developing young receivers and getting them ready to play, and that’s what coaching is all about. Just going out there and getting all the $50 million receivers.” You can’t just come in and automatically expect them to play.”You have to have some faith in what the young players are doing and their development, and we believe in them. And I’m going to play with them.”
In addition to Godwin and Evans, rookie starting nickelback Tykie Smith, who had back-to-back forced fumbles in Weeks 5 and 6 and recorded his first career interception in Week 6, also underwent a concussion test. He left Monday’s game and finished the game. I won’t go back.
“He will undergo short-term treatment for a concussion,” Bowles said. “We’ll see what happens, but that’s usually difficult in a short week.”
