Bucs WR Chris Godwin to have surgery on fractured finger

Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin fractured his finger against the Las Vegas Raiders and is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday.

The fractured finger, which was first reported by the Tampa Bay Times, will force Godwin to miss Tampa Bay's game against the New York Giants next Sunday night. Godwin fractured his left index finger while catching a touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving the Buccaneers a 31-20 lead.

Godwin has played in four games this season, racking up 279 yards and two touchdowns. The fourth-year receiver broke out last season, finishing third in the league with 1,333 yards receiving. He also had nine touchdowns. 

He and Mike Evans have become arguably the most potent receiving duo in the league, and with the addition of quarterback Tom Brady, their offense has become one of the best in the league, scoring at least 38 points in three of their last four games.

While Godwin missing time is a tough loss for the Bucs, they have plenty of other offensive weapons to keep the engine running while he recovers, including receiver Antonio Brown joining the team starting in Week 9. But head coach Bruce Arians made it clear how much the team will miss Godwin, comparing him to several elite wide receivers for his talent and work ethic.

"Yeah, he’s right there with some guys that I’ve had like Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald, Hines Ward," Arians said. "He can do the receiver dirty work and go down the field. That’s the thing he has over all of them. He’s a deep threat when he’s healthy, and to me, he is the ultimate football player. He blocks like a tight end, he runs routes like the best wides in the league, inside or outside, and that’s why he is so valuable to our offense."