The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to win their division despite a number of injuries to some of their key players.
Perhaps the most impactful injury was to veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin.
In a recent article by PFF, they talk about some of the key players on every NFL team's starting lineup. For the reigning NFC South champions, they list Godwin as an "X-factor" for the 2025 season.
"Godwin was potentially on his way to his best NFL season before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 7 against Baltimore," PFF wrote. "His 85.7 PFF receiving grade was the second best of his career. Still just 29 years old with eight excellent seasons under his belt, Godwin has a chance to add even more firepower to an offense that surged down the stretch toward another NFC South title."
Despite playing just five games this past season, Godwin finished the year with the third-most receiving yards on the Buccaneers. Even though he missed the majority of 2024, people have not forgotten how good he is.
The 29-year-old wideout finished the 2023 season with 1,024 receiving yards, which was his third season in a row eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. Mike Evans carried the wide receiver corps with his 11th-straight 1,000-yard season, so he will be relieved to have his partner in crime back.
The Bucs were able to win the NFC South in 2024 ... even with this standout player not being fully available ... so adding Godwin back into the mix could really put the team over the top.