Who Should I Start? Chris Godwin or Mecole Hardman

Monday, June 9, 6:14 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said the team is hopeful that wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) will be ready for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season this fall after dislocating his ankle last year. Bowles said that Godwin has been working hard ahead of this week's mandatory minicamp. The 29-year-old was on his way to a career year and had five touchdowns in seven games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2024. He took less money to return to Tampa in the offseason on a three-year, $66 million deal in March. With offensive coordinator Liam Coen now out of town and Godwin coming off a serious ankle injury, fantasy managers have plenty of reasons to be skeptical that he'll look as good as he did before his injury last year. Perhaps the biggest threat to Godwin's workload in 2025 is rookie first-round wideout Emeka Egbuka.

Tuesday, March 18, 9:06 PM

Free-agent wide receiver/return specialist Mecole Hardman (knee) is signing an undisclosed one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Hardman will take his speed to the Packers while contributing both on offense and special teams as a kick returner. The 27-year-old former second-rounder (56th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 out of the University of Georgia caught only 12 of 14 targets for 90 yards and no touchdowns while carrying the ball five times for 62 yards and a touchdown in 12 regular-season games before suffering a knee injury in December that landed him on Injured Reserve. The Packers could use the receiver depth with Christian Watson (knee) likely to miss around half of the 2025 season, but Hardman could struggle for consistent involvement in Green Bay's offense, much like he did in KC, behind Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.