Buccaneers injuries: Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin to miss Week 8 game vs. Saints, hopeful for return after bye

The Buccaneers will once again be without running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula) for their Week 8 game against the Saints, coach Todd Bowles said in his Wednesday press conference. Tampa Bay has a bye in Week 9, which played a factor in the decision.

"If they're healthy enough to play, we're gonna play them, but if there's any doubt, we're not gonna play them at all," Bowles said. "They gotta be ready to play, and we gotta see that they can play before we put them out on the field, but with the bye week coming, if a guy's very iffy, we'd probably be more inclined to not play if he's not ready to play."

Bowles then said Irving and Godwin fell into that "iffy" category.

Irving has not played since Week 4 due to foot and shoulder injuies. The second-year running back had 1,514 yards from scrimmage in his rookie season and 430 yards from scrimmage through four games this season. Godwin, on the other hand, missed the team's first three games as he recovered from a dislocated ankle suffered last season. He returned in Week 4 and also played in Week 5 before suffering a fibula injury to the same leg as the dislocated ankle.

Though Godwin's absence has lingered, Bowles said it's "a week-to-week thing right now," and it's not an injury that jeopardizes him missing the rest of the season.

The Buccaneers lost Mike Evans for most of the rest of the season when he broke his collarbone Monday night against the Lions. The longtime star wide receiver also suffered a concussion on the play. Bowles said Evans' timeline to return is contingent on his surgery -- which he will undergo this week, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport -- and recovery.

Wide receiver Jalen McMillan has been out since before the season began due to a neck injury suffered in the preseason, and Bowles said McMillan is improving but still in a brace. The Buccaneers also have lost two starting offensive linemen -- Luke Goedeke and Cody Mauch -- for the season.

The injuries aren't just limited to the offensive side of the ball. Bowles said though Haason Reddick's knee and ankle MRI results had not come back, it looks like the edge defender will miss some time, too.

Despite the mounting injuries, Tampa Bay is 5-2 and leading the NFC South, thanks largely to Baker Mayfield's strong play.