As the Buccaneers tried to rally in their Monday-night matchup against the Ravens, they lost one of their key wide receiver starters.
The team is concerned that Chris Godwin may have suffered a serious injury, which would be a significant blow to Tampa Bay’s offense and a poorly timed setback for Mike Evans’ long-time sidekick.
Godwin is currently in the final season of a three-year, $60 million deal, and although he has four 1,000-yard seasons to his name, he was on pace for a career-best total this year.
The Buccaneers decided to give Evans a third contract this offseason, prioritizing their long-time No.
1 target over Godwin, who is playing on a deal he signed after being franchise-tagged by the team for a second consecutive year.
Tampa Bay tagged Godwin in 2021 and 2022, but the second stint on the tag was short-lived, leading to the $20 million-per-year agreement just days later. While Godwin has achieved considerable success in his career, the former third-round pick was expected to be a high-profile free agent at the end of this season.
Tampa Bay has developed a pattern of allowing free agents to play out their contract years before re-signing them.
This year, they took this approach by re-signing Evans, Baker Mayfield, and Lavonte David, and then tagging and extending Antoine Winfield Jr. The team has also used this strategy with cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis, as well as center Ryan Jensen. Jensen, who recently retired, secured a third contract before suffering a career-ending knee injury. Unfortunately, Godwin’s chances for a third contract may be affected by this recent development.
Back in May, there were reports that the Buccaneers, following their usual practice, had not engaged in extension talks with Godwin.
The talented wide receiver had previously torn his ACL late in the 2021 season, leaving the team shorthanded, especially after Antonio Brown’s abrupt exit. However, Godwin, now 28, returned with solid 1,000-yard performances in both 2022 and 2023, though he was not quite at his peak in either year. He managed to post 1,023 yards in Tom Brady’s final season and 1,024 yards in Mayfield’s first year with Tampa, scoring a total of five touchdowns during that period. Coming into Monday night’s game, he had already matched that touchdown total for the season.
Evans and Godwin have played together for eight years now.
Although Godwin did not immediately enter the starting lineup as a rookie, he quickly emerged as Evans’ top complement, assisting quarterbacks like Mayfield, Brady, and Jameis Winston. With Godwin’s injury, Mayfield’s offensive options will be more limited, placing added pressure on players like Trey Palmer and rookie Jalen McMillan to step up.
Even though Brown briefly disrupted Godwin’s role as the Buccaneers’ clear WR2, the team’s passing game has been built around Evans and Godwin for many years.
Godwin is second only to Evans on the Buccaneers’ all-time receiving list, with 7,266 yards—more than 2,000 yards ahead of third-place Mark Carrier. This highlights the significant contributions from the Bucs’ top receivers.
If Godwin is unable to return, it will be a challenge for the team to develop their receiving core, both for the remainder of this season and potentially into 2025, given the veteran’s contract situation.
