The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed wide receiver Chris Godwin on a three-year, $66 million contract in free agency, a rather stunning move from a monetary standpoint.
Godwin was expected to land at least $25 million annually on the open market, and there has been speculation that the New England Patriots may have offered him far north of that.
But Godwin opted to return to the only NFL franchise he has ever known, and the Buccaneers will once again boast one of the league’s best receiver tandems in Godwin and Mike Evans next season as a result.
Not surprisingly, quarterback Baker Mayfield was thrilled to hear the news, and at his press conference on Wednesday, Godwin revealed what Mayfield’s reaction was when the signing first broke.
“He was FaceTiming me and overjoyed,” Godwin said. “He happened to be with Tristan [Wirfs] too, which is unsurprising.”
Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his professional career this past year, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns en route to his second straight Pro Bowl appearance. And remember: he did all of that with Godwin missing 11 games.
Godwin went down midway through the 2024 campaign with a dislocated ankle. During his time on the field, he caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns, so he was on pace to log his four straight 1,000-yard season and the fifth of his NFL tenure overall.
The 29-year-old was originally selected by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has gone on to establish himself as one of football’s most underrated pass-catchers, making the Pro Bowl in 2019 after hauling in 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine scores.
