On the same day Chris Godwin returned to practice, fellow Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans left the field with an apparent hamstring injury Friday.

Godwin practiced for the first time since surgery in January to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee.

With a brace on the knee, Godwin did some straight-line running and participated in positional drills but did not join the 11-on-11 workouts.

“It’s always a plus when he’s in uniform,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “… We’re not going to rush him. We’re just glad to see him out there working right now. As it goes on, we’ll see.”

Godwin, 26, caught a career-high 98 passes for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns in 14 starts last season before sustaining the season-ending injury in Week 15.

The Buccaneers re-signed him to a three-year deal worth a reported $60 million, with $40 million fully guaranteed, in March.

Since he was drafted in the third round in 2017, Godwin has 342 receptions for 4,643 yards and 29 touchdowns. In 2019, he was named to the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro. He capped the 2020 season with a victory in Super Bowl LV.

Evans, who has a history of hamstring issues, exited the training camp session under his own power. Bowles said after the workout that Evans might have tweaked his left hamstring, but he didn’t yet have all the information from trainers.

Evans, 28, is the only wideout in NFL history to begin his career with eight straight 1,000-yard seasons. The four-time Pro Bowl selection caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns in 16 starts in 2021.

–Field Level Media