Buccaneers officially set to activate Chris Godwin, but when will he play?

There have been questions as to whether or not Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin or left tackle Tristan Wirfs would be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the year, which would guarantee either of them to miss at least four games. We got the answer to at least one of those questions on Thursday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that the Bucs are set to activate Godwin off the PUP list to start the season, which means that he could come back at any time. That being said, it still seems like his recovery is a ways away.

Godwin is officially back on the roster, but how long will it be until he hits the field?

When will Chris Godwin play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

The decision is an interesting one. Schefter reported Thursday that despite Godwin's activation to the main roster, he's not set to play until October. That would still line up with about four games (maybe more), which would still have aligned with the minimum requirement needed on the PUP list. If Godwin were on the PUP list, the Bucs could have also used the extra roster spot — so why activate him if he was missing time anyway?

The answer seems to lie in his ability to practice. Schefter reported that Godwin is set to begin practicing as early as Week 2, which could help him get acclimated to game speed and help him learn offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard's tendencies in a familiar playbook. That move might allow him to hit the ground running (quite literally) whenever he does end up playing in October. Godwin wouldn't be able to do any of that on the PUP list, so with all of those benefits in place, his ability to practice earlier seems like the most plausible explanation for why he's getting activated earlier.

Finally, the move also accounts for a best-case scenario — Godwin playing before Week 5. While that seems extremely unlikely, it's impossible while Godwin is on the PUP list, so the Bucs could be hedging their bets. So while fans likely won't see Godwin until after Week 4 at the earliest, it's encouraging to see him far enough in his recovery that he could start moving again sooner rather than later.