Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin returned from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2021 season to catch a career-high 104 passes for 1,023 yards and three touchdowns last year.
But like many players after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery, Godwin said this week that it’s taken a long time for him to feel like he did before the injury.
“I think I’m very close to it. I feel like a lot of my explosion is coming back,” Godwin said, via Adam Silvan of PewterReport.com. “I feel very comfortable with the things that I’m working on. It feels really good to be able to have the opportunity to work on my skill development this offseason, as opposed to just working to rehab an injury.”
Godwin added that he feels a “night and day difference between last year and this year,” in large part because he was rehabbing on his own during the offseason program.
“Those were very long days, and you kind of watch out the window,” Godwin said. “It’s like you’re a kid that got in trouble, and you’re watching all your friends outside, playing and having fun. To be out here now, it’s a blessing. It was a lot of hard work.
“I took some much-needed rest right after the season. But I’m feeling really good. I feel really good with where I’m at. It’s a fresh year [with] fresh opportunities for myself and all the guys around.”
A fully healthy Godwin in 2023 will be good for whoever wins the quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask this summer.