The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have once again placed the franchise tag on WR Chris Godwin. The Buccaneers had previously used the franchise tag on Godwin for the 2021 season. Despite a late push to sign a long-term extension ahead of the 2022 deadline, the Buccaneers had to use the tag to ensure Godwin would not head to free agency in 2022.
Buccaneers franchise tag Chris Godwin
There was no certainty that the Buccaneers would give Godwin the franchise tag again in 2022. The WR suffered a knee injury in Week 15 of the 2021 season. In the game against the New Orleans Saints, Godwin tore the ACL and sprained the MCL in his right knee. He finished the 2022 season with 98 catches, 1,103 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns.
However, with recovery from a torn ACL usually seeing players return in time for the next NFL season, the Buccaneers decided they could not risk Godwin leaving as a free agent this offseason. Godwin and the Buccaneers were reportedly close to signing an extension ahead of this move. Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see an extension signed ahead of the July 15 deadline.
Godwin’s franchise tag value is $19.2 million
While the official franchise tag value for the WR position is set at $18.419 million, Godwin will count more than that against the cap in 2022. When it comes to a second-straight franchise tag, a player is paid the higher of 120% of his prior year’s salary or the new tag value. In this case, the 120% increase would put Godwin’s value at $19.1796 million.
That money is fully guaranteed and is all paid in the form of a base salary. Therefore, that is now the starting point for further contract extension talks.
What are the next steps for Godwin and the Buccaneers?
It would be extremely surprising based on the news ahead of the franchise tag deadline if Godwin does not sign a long-term extension soon. Given how close the two sides reportedly were, that could even happen ahead of the new league year on March 16.
The Buccaneers will certainly have an incentive to get a new deal worked out. With Godwin currently carrying a cap number of over $19 million, the Buccaneers could reduce that by as much as $15 million with a long-term extension. Tampa Bay is expected to be close to the salary cap in 2022. Therefore, getting Godwin’s cap number down needs to be a priority for the team.
