Buccaneers' Chris Godwin Speaks About Wife's Comments Regarding Todd Bowles, Usage
Following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 21-18 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, it was apparent that wide receiver Chris Godwin did not get his usual work when it came to catching the ball despite being on the field for the majority of the team's snaps.
When asked about the reasoning behind the lack of looks in Godwin's direction, head coach Todd Bowles pointed towards the WR being subbed out and injuries as something that could have held him back this week. Well, shortly thereafter, Chris Godwin's wife, Mariah Godwin, took to Instagram in which she called out Bowles for "lying on" Godwin and the reasoning behind his usage.
While speaking with the media on Thursday, Godwin mentioned that he did in fact have a conversation with offensive coordinator Dave Canales regarding his usage in the team's offense and that that meeting went well. Canales also resonated Chris' stance and even went as far as to say he, himself is "not satisfied" with Godwin's usage.
As with any news that makes its way to social media, Godwin was of course asked about his wife's comments following practice on Thursday in which he responded,
"Mariah, that's my best friend. We've been together for...what year is it? 2023? For 11 years now. And she's been my biggest supporter for through the whole thing. And I think like, I know she's always going to support me, she's always going to have my back.
"So naturally, there's some frustrations when things don't necessarily go how you would expect. I think her intent of like proving was simply like - it wasn't a play count thing, that wasn't the reason why things didn't play out how we had hoped.
"Just making sure that people understand that I work my ass off, which I do. I work my ass off to make sure I'm ready to play, to make sure I'm able to give my best for my teammates and I'm not a liability or anything. That came from a place of love. I'll always love her. That's my girl. I'm always going to have her back the same as she has mine."
Mariah has shown that she will always stand with her husband and that is something that Godwin can definitely be proud of. The team and the fanbase knows Godwin's work ethic and will never question it, but the question ultimately is why is Godwin not being targeted like he has in the past?
Canales' offense isn't geared around a major passing attack like Godwin has been used to in the past with Brady at the helm. Things are bound to be different and that means all parties having to adjust to those changes. Those changes are still working themselves out and we have to remember this is everyone's first year together on the offensive side of the ball, so it is not going to be perfect.
With things now hashed out between all sides, we should expect a big Godwin game in the near future and this Sunday's pivotal matchup against the Atlanta Falcons would be a great time to feature the stud wideout.
Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 season.
