On Monday, Chris Godwin agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Godwin officially inked his new deal at the AdventHealth Training Center on Tuesday, a day before the start of 2025 free agency. There were undoubtedly several lucrative offers from other interested teams around the league but Godwin chose to stay with the team that drafted him.
"I think, what it boiled down to, honestly, was family and just staying true to who I am," said Godwin. "I feel like nine out of ten people in this position wouldn't necessarily have made the decision that I did but I don't do the things that I do based on what other people would do. I trust my gut and I stay true to who I am. One thing I've never done is made any decisions solely based on the money. I think I'm fortunate enough to be in this position and to be here at this table again. That's a position that not many people have had. I recognize that and I'm fortunate in that way, so for me, I had to do what was best for myself, I had to do what was best for our family. I had to do what we were the most comfortable with, but also, I work with a lot of great people and those things really are big factors."
During his tenure in Tampa Bay, Godwin has undergone two significant injuries and ensuing grueling recoveries, respectively. In 2021, a torn ACL in the Week 15 contest ended his campaign but the Buccaneers still applied the franchise tag on Godwin a couple months later for the second year in a row, showing their testament of faith in Godwin. A long-term deal was later met and this time around in 2024, Godwin dislocated his ankle in the Week Seven matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, abruptly ending his prolific season. At the time of the injury, Godwin led the NFL in receptions (50), receiving first downs (30) and yards after catch (324), while tying for first in receiving touchdowns (five). He also ranked second in catch percentage (81.1% - min. 25 targets) and third in receiving yards.
Entering 2025, Godwin will continue his historical run with future Hall of Fame teammate, Mike Evans. Since the two joined forces in Tampa Bay's offensive arsenal in 2017, the pair have formed one of the most formidable receiver tandems in league annals. Few duos have achieved what Godwin and Evans have produced on the gridiron for the Bucs. Godwin and Evans rank fifth all time in receiving yards by a receiver duo and 6th all-time in receiving touchdowns by a receiver duo. (This counts only seasons in which the two receivers were on the same team at the same time.)
"I'd like to challenge anybody to say that, take the combination of talent, and the character, the selflessness of a duo that's the best in NFL history and will probably never be repeated," described General Manager Jason Licht. "That's just the type of person Chris is. I know you left what some would say [is] generational money, and people always give us kudos for betting on Chris during his injuries but he and Mariah, they bet on us, and we're going to do everything that we can to make it right for you and chase another ring."
Originally a third-round draft pick out of Penn State in 2017, Godwin ranks second in franchise history in most receiving categories, including receptions (579), receiving yards (7,266) and touchdown catches (39). The only player ahead of him on those esteemed lists is Evans, who is the Bucs' franchise points scored leader, franchise receptions leader, franchise receiving yards leader and receiving touchdowns leader. Evans is the only player in NFL history with 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons and together, along with Godwin, the pair strike fear in opposing defenses. Defensive coordinators are forced to pick their poison, allocating resources to try and mitigate 13 and 14. The Bucs' offense is predicated on vertical threat-Evans, and his proficiency at executing back-shoulder catches and high-pointing the football, along with Godwin's prowess out of the slot and his physicality over the middle of the field and efficiency on option routes. When fall begins and the two step onto the grass, their contributions will not only be etched in Bucs' lore but entrenched in league archives as well.
"I feel like we're going to look back on this time period – specific to your question, me and Mike – a decade from now and realize how special of a time it was, because, to your point, it's very rare to have two guys that operate the way that we do with the abilities that we have and to be on the same team for this long," noted Godwin. "It's something that I'm extremely proud of and something that I'm extremely fortunate to be a part of. I've told Mike that a bunch of times – it's been an honor to be his running mate for the last eight years and now we get to continue to do it. Again, always grateful."
