The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a 10-7 season where they dominated their competition in the NFC South.
They were two games ahead of the second-place Atlanta Falcons, and a full five games ahead of the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, who each finished the season with 5-12 records.
Pending a surprising season from any of those three teams, the Buccaneers are in the driver’s seat for this division.
Baker Mayfield is firing on all cylinders, finding a home with this team and within this offense, and both sides of the ball have strong athletes that can make a difference each week.
This offense was on fire last season, and it looks like they could perform similarly this year, if not better.
Head coach Todd Bowles recently talked about Chris Godwin‘s status on the 95.3 “WDAE” radio broadcast, indicating that the veteran receiver could be back in the fold quicker than initially imagined.
“He’s working his way back, he’s getting healthier by the day. There’s some light at the end of the tunnel. I can’t say exactly when, but hopefully sooner than later. I think he’s closer to sooner than he is later. I would say anywhere from Week 2 to Week 5,” Bowles said.
Week 2 to Week 5 timeline for a Godwin return? #Bucs@AroundTheNFL @ProFootballTalk @NFLonFOX @ESPNNFL https://t.co/s8TaacwKgN
— Tom Krasniqi (@TKras) August 27, 2025
Godwin, of course, is coming off a dislocated ankle injury, one that kept him out of the second half of the 2024 season.
He has proven to be an integral part of this offense, a primary target for Mayfield.
Their offense will be even better with him on the field, but for however long he is sidelined, rookie Emeka Egbuka will have plenty of opportunities to shine and showcase what he can do in this league.
NEXT: Key Buccaneers Player Is Dealing With An Injury