Buccaneers' WR Injury Troubles Don't Get Any Better on Friday

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' wide receiver situation is up in the air heading into a Week 4 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. No. 1 WR Mike Evans is suspended for the week, Chris Godwin is hurt (again) and Julio Jones is banged up just a few weeks into his Bucs tenure.

Buccaneers looking for more clarity received anything but that after Friday's practice. If anything, it's looking like quarterback Tom Brady will be without all three of his top pass-catchers against the Packers this Sunday.

Still no Chris Godwin at Bucs practice today, so it’s likely he will miss a second game Sunday. Julio Jones working on the side with trainers, but that too is more likely good news for next week.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 23, 2022

Chris Godwin Injury Update

The Athletic's Greg Auman reports that Godwin was absent from Friday's practice, making it unlikely that he'll play on Sunday. The 26-year-old wideout has missed the majority of practices over the last few weeks due to a nagging hamstring injury.

It's unfortunate news for Godwin considering how injuries have played him over the last year. He looked to be in the clear following a recovery from last year's season-ending ACL tear, however, this hamstring injury has him on the sidelines yet again.

Godwin caught three passes for 35 receiving yards against the Dallas Cowboys to kick start the 2022 season. The former Pro-Bowler has racked up 166 receptions for 1,978 yards and 12 touchdowns since Brady became his QB in 2020, so time will tell if they have that connection when he recovers.

Julio Jones Injury Update

While Jones managed to show up to Friday's practice, he spent it on the sidelines with trainers. It's good news that his status is improving, however, it's still far from a guarantee that he'll suit up to take on Green Bay.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told reporters after practice that Jones will be a game-time decision on Sunday. The seven-time Pro-Bowler caught three of his five targets in Week 1 for 69 yards, making it interesting to see if he builds off that.

Bowles said receiver Julio Jones -- who had a helmet in hand walking off the field after practice -- will be a game-time decision Sunday, trying to return from a knee injury after missing last week.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 23, 2022

Packers vs Buccaneers Week 3

If Godwin and Jones can't play, the Bucs will be left with Russell Gage, Breshad Perriman and Scotty Miller as their top three wideouts. Bowles did say Cole Beasley — who was added to the practice squad earlier this week — could play, but he didn't exactly impress in practice.

The good news is that, even with an injury-marred WR room, the odds are still in Tampa Bay's favor. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists the Bucs as 1.5-point home favorites over the Packers.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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