The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are more than thrilled to welcome WR Chris Godwin back to the field on Sunday, September 28. Godwin’s ankle injury has kept him out of action since October 21, 2024. He was on pace for a career year in 2024, but then everything changed.
Nursing the ankle injury, Godwin faced the harsh reality of deciding whether he was going to stay in Tampa Bay or head elsewhere for more money.
Chris Godwin Reveals His Thought Process on Re-Signing With Tampa Bay
Godwin, the Bucs’ No. 84 overall draft pick in 2017, has been with Tampa for the entirety of his career. The 29-year-old was around when QB Tom Brady came to town and won the team a Super Bowl. He’s had to endure the highs and lows of Buccaneers football, but truly believes in this team and QB Baker Mayfield, who has a B- in PFSN’s QB Impact. In the end, Godwin signed a 3-year, $66 million deal with $44 million guaranteed to stay in Tampa Bay.
“And this past offseason, with my contract being up and thinking about a life somewhere else, it just didn’t work in my head. I tried to think on it. I did,” Godwin said. “I pictured myself in other jerseys. Thought about Mariah and Ace walking around different cities. Heard from my agent about all the money I could make somewhere else. And I’m not knocking anybody for taking the money. This isn’t about all that.”
Godwin continued, “This decision to be a Buc was about me, about my family, about my love for Tampa. I wanted to be here, more than anything else. Simple as that. You know why? Because Tampa always believed in me. They drafted me in the third round in 2017. They signed me after I tore my ACL in 2021. And they were here for me again after my injury in October. To me, that’s just bigger than football. That’s love.”
Even with the torn ACL in 2021, Godwin’s seven-game 2024 season marked the fewest he played in his career. If it weren’t for that ankle injury, one can only imagine the numbers Godwin would’ve put up. He called Mayfield “a real one” in his “Half Man, Half Monster” story that The Players’ Tribune published.
Now, Godwin is able to return to the field in the Bucs’ Week 4 matchup at Raymond James Stadium. He didn’t pick an easy game to come back to, as Tampa is set to welcome the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. While he will likely be on a snap count, Mayfield is going to need Godwin to step up without veteran WR Mike Evans.
