When will Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs return for the Buccaneers?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans and NFL analysts all have had a decent sense of when left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Chris Godwin would be back in the fold for the Buccaneers, but something head coach Todd Bowles said on Thursday put a bit of a wrench in that.

Bowles was asked for an update on Godwin and Wirfs' practice trajectory after the two returned to practice on Thursday, and Bowles gave a surprising answer. He said that there was some possibility that Wirfs and Godwin could return on Monday night against the Houston Texans.

Bowles says Monday is in play for Godwin and Wirfs, depending on how they recover from practices this week.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 11, 2025

"Both of them actually can. We'll see how the week goes," Bowles said. "We'll see how recovery goes from today, tomorrow and the next day and then go from there."

That's a pretty big turnaround from the estimates we've heard throughout the offseason. With Godwin and Wirfs now back at practice and an extra day to recover, could they really make an appearance on Monday Night Football against the Texans?

You know the saying. If it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Don't expect Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs to play vs. Texans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) during the first half against the Tennessee Titans. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Despite Bowles' interesting timeline from that presser, the idea is still to bring both of them back in a few weeks. The target to watch is Week 5 — Not only is Godwin expected to be ready at around the time, per the NFL's Ian Rapoport, but Wirfs himself told FOX Sports' Greg Auman today that Week 5 was his target, as well.

Just to set reasonable expectations for Tristan Wirfs coming back: He said today the goal is Week 5. He could come back sooner, but all they’ve talked about is Week 5. “By then, I should be fucking rolling.”
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 11, 2025

Chris Godwin is recovering from a second surgery to fix some hardware in his ankle, a procedure that probably sped up his return. The team is hopefully for a Week 5 debut, though Week 6 is also possible. https://t.co/ZPPCrscXvB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 11, 2025

That would be a game against the Seattle Seahawks in Washington, one week after the Bucs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles. Obviously, it would be nice to have both pieces back for a duel against the defending Super Bowl champions, but the team will also want to make sure Wirfs and Godwin are able to return whenever they are ready from their respective surgery recoveries.

The Bucs face off against the Texans on Monday Night, and it's looking like the team will have to make do with the linemen and receivers they have who are healthier and ready to play.

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