Online lip readers have revealed what Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin said while sitting in a cart following an injury so gruesome that ESPN refused to show a replay.
Godwin had his leg trapped under Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith after being tackled following a catch over the middle with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter of the ‘Monday Night Football’ clash.
“I’m told by our production truck we are not going to show the replay,” ESPN’s Joe Buck said.
Buck and his partner, Troy Aikman, had only just wondered whether the Bucs should let the clock run out instead of putting their players in harm’s way before Godwin sustained the season-ending injury.
The wideout is now set for surgery on his dislocated ankle, which comes at the worst time, given that he’s headed into free agency.
Cameras panned to the player while he was seated in a cart with his leg in an air cast.
Lip readers reckon he said “back to work” in the clip shown below:
Wow, after having his leg destroyed (again) you can see him saying “back to work”, that’s just incredible strength and resilience from #Godwin pic.twitter.com/L9hwVTRToy
— Franco Russo (@_francorusso) October 22, 2024
“What a tough mother …. Wow. I have nothing but respect for this guy,” a fan said in the comments.
“Well stated… One of the most incredible reactions at the time. Great tv coverage to get that too. How can you not root and pray for this man,” another wrote.
“No doubt, the look on his face like he is already starting the process of getting back is rare,” said a third.
What Todd Bowles Had To Say About Chris Godwin’s Injury
After the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked why he kept Godwin on the field despite his team being down by 10 with less than a minute to play.
“We’re just trying to win the ballgame,” he replied. “We’re still down 10, trying to get extra points, kick another onside kick. It just happened.
“We’ve got our guys, we’re playing everybody we’ve got. It’s unfortunate he got hurt. We feel bad about that. But he’s a football player, and he wanted to be in the game just like Baker [Mayfield] and everybody else wanted to be in the game.”
Bowles has been slammed for the decision, while there have been claims of him being ignorant of the rules. However, the Bucs would have been permitted to attempt another onside kick if they scored.
