Injuries Beginning To Get Scary
August 21st, 2025
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 after 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, 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.”
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.
At least tread water the first four games and hope like heck Godwin and Wirfs can return for Week 5 in Seattle. If the Bucs 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
August 21st, 2025 at 3:57 am
As we’ve just seen with Atlanta, who knows how healthy the teams we play will be when we play them? Who might be out for the Jets, or Eagles? What if Darnold has to miss the Buc game? Injuries are part of the game. It is what it is. Making it through a 17 game season is near impossible for anyone. Luck plays a big part of who’s left standing in January, and who wins it all. Lets hope we get some luck on our side before it’s all said, and done.
August 21st, 2025 at 4:12 am
Atlanta cant stop the run.
Pound the rock!
August 21st, 2025 at 5:41 am
When 3 starters of 22 players are out of the game it’s a 13.64 % advantage for the opposition. All 3 Godwin, J Mac, and Wirfs missing the season opener was preventable. I know injuries happen but Godwin and J Mac shouldn’t have been on the field. Wirfs had the entire offseason.= Bad management imo.
August 21st, 2025 at 5:41 am
Winfield would be the biggest loss bc our pass defense stunk last year. The offense replaces a guy and keeps on rolling like last year. Godwin’s ankle was on backwards October 21 last year… Maybe a full year to 100%?
August 21st, 2025 at 5:52 am
I understand Godwins situation that you can’t pull your starters and wave the white flag but dang it’s frustrating. Just want to see the team 100% at least once.
August 21st, 2025 at 5:55 am
Nailed it yet again Joe!
The “don’t worry it’s only preseason” crowd should be about ready to change their tune me thinks.
Go Bucs!
August 21st, 2025 at 6:25 am
InwoodJeremy … ‘All 3 Godwin, J Mac, and Wirfs missing the season opener was preventable. I know injuries happen but Godwin and J Mac shouldn’t have been on the field. Wirfs had the entire offseason.= Bad management imo.’
Injuries are a part of life in the NFL. I’m sure that every NFL player understands the risk & accepts it. They get paid handsomely for taking that risk, but it’s still THEIR CHOICE. Coaches play guys in the preseason based on their assessment of player’ readiness for the regular season. Injuries suck, but coaches don’t have the option of sitting everyone on the bench for each game.
August 21st, 2025 at 6:43 am
Cold, Hard, Facts. Thanks DR. It’s a long season and we are just starting the grind. Not unlike 31 other teams out there. We’re going to be just fine.
August 21st, 2025 at 7:42 am
You can’t stop competitors from competing just for fear of injury, this is football.
You can’t expect your team to compete at its’ best without practice, this is football.
You cannot expect to play this game without realizing the physical abuse you subject yourself to, because players know this is football.
Just the nature of a game that’s been played for > 150 years.
Why do they play preseason games? The same reason soldiers go through pt and other exercises that mimic what they’ll be doing in active duty, preparedness.
August 21st, 2025 at 7:56 am
Bucs go 2-3 in first 5 games. Starting to wonder if Jason made a mistake by making Winfield the highest paid Safety. He has been injured since.
August 21st, 2025 at 7:58 am
Last I checked the season was 17 games, 18 weeks long. Yes, a slow start would be a challenge. However. if my choices were a healthy Bucs team to start the season or a healthy one to finish the season then into the playoffs, I’ll take the later. No one said winning the Super Bowl was going to be easy.
August 21st, 2025 at 7:58 am
JMac is the only one that is concerning. The other two we kind of expected. Wirfs will be back by week 3 or 4 easily. The first two weeks will be fine. Atlanta is going to through out a rookie receiver with no pre-season playing time and a beat up OL, plus possibly down a WR. Our defense will feast. Then the Jets have an injured Justin Fields and are already having a lot of issues. I’m telling you we start the season 4-0, also bet on Emeka Egbuka for OROY
August 21st, 2025 at 8:31 am
First last
Houston will be no cakewalk on a Monday night. The Bucs lifetime record bs. The Jets?
3-10.
August 21st, 2025 at 8:40 am
ok joe….you’ve won me over!!!!!!
i thought pre season was necessary to shake off the rust and develop young players in a game like environment….live competition…
but over the years i see that they are worthless….
i’d much rather the NFL get rid of pre season all together and bring back a scaled down version of 2-a-days combined with a round robin joint practice session…
but the NFL makes tons of money off pre season so its not going anywhere lol
GO BUCS!!!!
August 21st, 2025 at 8:49 am
Ahhh yes, 44 million guaranteed and lets make him a shroud of mystery wrapped in a riddle. LOVE IT. Look, he may come back week 3 for all i know and be the Godwin we all know. But if he isnt back by sayyyyy week 12, and it takes another few weeks for him to play 50 snaps then its sunk cost frankly. We think the playoffs are guaranteed or something but they arent. I’m not in to “good faith” contracts because you’ve been a great guy.
August 21st, 2025 at 9:05 am
Atlanta’s pass rush is going to surprise us on this forum and many critics out there I believe. Don’t sleep on Falcons as an easy win Bucs fans. And a nasty Falcons pass rush leads to more injuries on Bucs because it makes everyone on on the team play a little faster than there comfortable doing. Go Bucs!!
August 21st, 2025 at 10:13 am
No solid return time back for Chris yet. Worrisome mystery for sure. I am also concerned about Jalen and Tristan.
August 21st, 2025 at 11:19 am
“Are they also braced for Life Without Godwin?”
Yep. They drafted his replacement, regardless of whatever claims they make.
August 21st, 2025 at 11:21 am
No one can realistically predict what a team will be good or bad at right now. Anyone saying otherwise is fooling themselves.
It’s new year. Every team has tried to make improvements. We won’t know who succeeded until during the regular season…maybe not until week 6 or so.
August 21st, 2025 at 11:54 am
Bucs aren’t hitting the panic button. How about the fans do the same?
August 21st, 2025 at 12:08 pm
There’s no cause for concern in week one of a 17 game schedule with Chris and Tristan not on the pup list no starters on defense are hurt only depth edge rush a rookie got hurt. Don’t have Chris and Jalen but we Were without Mike and Chris for a while last year.
August 21st, 2025 at 12:09 pm
Estaban85
That’s all some fans are good for is worrying
August 21st, 2025 at 12:56 pm
Coaching matters.
Medical staff competence matters.
Training staff performance matters.
#fail
August 21st, 2025 at 2:22 pm
Injuries happen to all teams. During the TB12 Superbowl season the Buc’s were relatively healthy, especially in January. Last season was a Buc’s injury nightmare. This years team is very deep compared to last year at most positions. That’s what will carry this team forward despite injuries. IMHO.
August 21st, 2025 at 2:48 pm
The injuries seem to mount every year. It is wild and unlucky!!! I also think Bowles needs to stop being complacent with his star players. Do they need to play meaningless minutes like when Godwin was in vs Baltimore with under 5 minutes left and a mountain of a deficit. Why was mcmillan playing in 2 preseason games? He isnt a rookie, he was a starter. He may have played in 3 without the injury? Why? Yes it is good to get reps in and injuries can happen in practice too, but why are they increasing risk. Staff needs to step up and manage their use of players in meaningless situations to reduce risk. Its annoying and becoming impactful.