Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin has been one of the team’s most reliable receivers for the better part of the last decade. He played a key role on the Buccaneers’ 2020 Super Bowl team alongside Tom Brady, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.
With Brady now retired, Godwin recently shared that his new quarterback, Baker Mayfield, possesses a “superpower” similar to Brady’s that helps Tampa Bay continue to succeed.
Chris Godwin Shares Baker Mayfield’s ‘Superpower’
Godwin is one of the few active wide receivers remaining who have had the chance to play with Brady in his career. He developed a special connection with the legendary quarterback and averaged 72.3 yards per game during Brady’s three seasons in Tampa Bay.
In a recent article for The Players’ Tribune, Godwin reflected on a unique trait Brady had that strengthened their connection and helped him succeed as one of Brady’s top targets.
“At that point in his career, everyone knew he was the GOAT,” Godwin wrote. “But he made it clear he couldn’t do it on his own. It was about us. And he’d come up to me and be like, ‘Chris, you’re a great player, man. Go make that play.’ I was pretty new to the league, and hearing that from that guy? You feel 10 feet tall. You feel like a ‘manster’ again.”
Throughout his career, Brady was known for his competitive edge, but he was also widely regarded as a great teammate. When he arrived in Tampa Bay, he ensured his teammates knew they were just as crucial to the team as he was and worked to lift them so they could play their best football.
While there’s no replicating what Brady did on the field or as a teammate, Godwin noted that Mayfield, the Buccaneers’ quarterback since 2023, also knows how to uplift his teammates, a trait Godwin called a “superpower.”
“Look, I’m not in the business of comparing anybody to #12. No point in all that,” Godwin wrote. “But Bake, he’ll look you in the eyes in the huddle and make you feel like you can do anything. That’s his superpower.”
MORE: Chris Godwin Reveals the Real Reason He Turned Down $22 Million to Re-Sign With Buccaneers
Mayfield is clearly not Brady, and there’s no denying that. However, few expected him to keep the Buccaneers as a consistent playoff contender after Brady stepped away, and that is precisely what he’s done.
Mayfield has faced his own ups and downs in the league, but he has always had a reputation as a great teammate. With his career resurgence in Tampa Bay, it’s clear he continues to put his teammates first.
Godwin, who missed most of 2024 with a season-ending ankle injury, will make his 2025 Buccaneers debut today, September 28, against the Philadelphia Eagles. With Mayfield at quarterback, he should get off to a strong start this season. The Buccaneers will kick off with the defending Super Bowl champions at 1 p.m. ET on certain FOX stations.
