Chris Godwin’s 2024 season was cut short by a brutal ankle injury he suffered in week seven. The eight-year receiver entered free agency this offseason but ultimately decided to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One NFL insider recently reported that Godwin was offered a significant contract by an AFC team, but gave Tampa Bay a hometown discount to remain with the club.
Chris Godwin Passed on Extra $8 Million Per Year To Stay With Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Godwin was a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and has spent his entire eight-year career with Tampa Bay. A consistent producer since becoming a full-time starter in 2019, Godwin has made the Pro Bowl once in his career and formed a dangerous wide receiver duo with Mike Evans.
His breakout season was in 2019, when Godwin totaled career-highs in yards (1,333) and touchdowns (nine) on 86 receptions. He was named second-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl that season, despite Tampa Bay missing the playoffs.
Godwin has eclipsed or been on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards each season since, but has played in every game just once. His most impressive season was 2022, where he returned from an ACL tear late in the 2021 season to play in 15 games and post 104 catches (career-high), 1,023 yards, and three touchdowns.
Godwin was off to a hot start in 2024 before dislocating his left ankle in Week 7. 2024 was also his last season under contract with Tampa Bay. He reportedly had a big offer from the New England Patriots, but turned it down to sign a three-year, $66 million deal with the Buccaneers.
“The Bucs made their best offer, and then the Patriots came hard, offering an average of $30 million per year on a multiyear deal, he says,” The Athletic’s Dan Pompei wrote on June 9. And it’s possible there was more juice to be squeezed there. The Buccaneers’ offer was for three years at $66 million, averaging $22 million per season.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin told @danpompei that the Patriots offered $30 million per year on a multi-year deal. (And that the offer might’ve gotten bigger if they’d played the game.)
Godwin turned them down to stay in Tampa for $22m/year.
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) June 9, 2025
Players rarely turn down lower offers to stay with their current team, but Godwin wanted to remain with Tampa Bay rather than buy into the Patriot way.
Godwin Returns To a Red-Hot Buccaneers Offense
Despite losing Godwin early, Tampa Bay was a force offensively in 2024. The unit finished No. 3 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric, with Baker Mayfield ranked as the 6th-best quarterback in the QB+ metric.
Evans is still the No. 1 option in Tampa Bay after surpassing 1,000 yards for the 11th-straight season. The team added Jalen McMillan in the 2024 NFL Draft and selected Emeka Egbuka in the first round of this year’s draft.
A healthy Godwin makes this unit one of the best in the league. It’s not often that a team and player respect each other this much. Still, Tampa Bay did right by offering Godwin, one of their most consistent players, such a lucrative contract coming off a bad injury, and he returned the favor by remaining with the club.
