Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin sat out practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to the hamstring strain he suffered in Week 1.
Godwin entered this season just under nine months removed from a torn ACL, so there was a fair amount of caution surrounding him already. Our algorithm predicted he should have waited until Week 5 to make his debut, however Tampa Bay saw enough progress in his rehab that they felt he was ready to go.
Initially in Week 1 everything looked to be going Godwin’s way. He caught all three of his targets and racked up 35 yards before going down with the hamstring strain. The good news in the immediate aftermath was that he had avoided a major injury, however hamstring strains are notoriously difficult for wide receivers to deal with.
Over a ten year period, the NFL Injury Surveillance saw the highest percentage of hamstring strains occurring in defensive backs (23.5%) with wide receivers just behind at 18.2%. These injuries impact skill-position players more because of how the hamstrings work.
The hamstring muscle group consists of the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris, all of which are large muscles that require a lot of energy. They play a major role in running, jumping, acceleration, and agility. Specifically when it comes to running, the hamstrings are working nonstop.
A strained hamstring means the muscle fibers are compromised to some extent. When players try to play through a strained hamstring, they are risking a full tear.
We’ve calculated Godwin’s hamstring strain to be a Grade 2, which indicates there is some tearing in the hamstring. Given his previous injury history, our Optimal Recovery Time for him is still 25 days away. His Injury Risk is High (50%) and his Health Performance Factor is Poor (26%).