Critical injuries mount.
If the Bucs were entering a playoff game and someone told you they would be down four starters, three of which are either a Pro Bowler or All-Pros, you’d be nervous, right?
Well, the Bucs are down Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Tristan Wirfs. And until Joe sees Antoine Winfield balling out (he returned to practice this week with a mysterious “lower leg” injury), Joe is holding his breath about Winfield. Last year he had an ankle injury in Week 1 and he was prohibitively hampered all season as a result.
All but Winfield could miss the first month of the season, perhaps longer.
Sara Walsh of NFL Network, who is no stranger to One Buc Palace, said while the Bucs are not panicking, a pall of concern has enveloped Bucs headquarters.
“I don’t want to say that they’re pushing the panic button,” Walsh said. “There’s definitely cause for concern. And let me just give you the context here. I mean, this is a Buccaneers team that the narrative this whole offseason was, everyone’s returning, and now we’re inching closer to that Week One start.”
As Walsh pointed out, the Bucs had a month to brace themselves for Life Without Wirfs. Are they also braced for Life Without Godwin? Walsh didn’t say.
Even Walsh senses something may not be right with the shroud of mystery surrounding Godwin.
“We don’t have an exact timetable [on a Godwin return], other than [the Bucs] say that he’s on track without really giving us anything firm,” Walsh said.
The trick here is to tread water the first four games and hope like heck Godwin and Wirfs can return for Week 5 in Seattle.
If they can’t? Well, Joe thinks it’s too soon to start climbing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Josh Grizzard tells me he’ll call this last preseason gm from booth for the first time as OC after being on field the last 2 games. He just wanted to get feel from the booth perspective… we talk the latest on @Buccaneers injury concerns on @nflnetwork tonight. pic.twitter.com/Ra4ua4tVkZ
— Sara Walsh (@Sara_Walsh) August 21, 2025