Chris Godwin was ‘really close’ to leaving Bucs, as Patriots made big push
Just a few minutes into Monday’s NFL free agency legal tampering period, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin decided that returning to Tampa was the best decision, signing a three-year, $66 million contract with the Bucs.
In the end, he wound up staying in Tampa, but it came at a cost. Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Godwin left money on the table, turning away larger deals from other teams. Godwin himself also seemed to suggest that he received other enticing offers, but eventually chose to decline.
“I feel like we were really close [to leaving],” Godwin told Sara Walsh and Mike Garafolo on the NFL Network’s The Insiders, via NFL.com. “When it comes to a situation like that, you have to really, really consider it. Me and [his wife] Mariah, we had some really tough conversations. … But at the end of the day, … I have to go based off my intuition and what I think is going to be best for us in the long run. Being here, where we call home, where we feel the most comfortable, where we can raise our newborn son, I think all those things are big factors for us in making this decision.”
So, the other teams involved in the Godwin pursuit clearly made a good case. Many reports in the weeks leading up to free agency named the Patriots as a team that would be after the wideout. Now, following free agency, it appears the Patriots might have been the team that nearly swayed Godwin to depart from the Buccaneers.
“New England was very interested in Chris Godwin. New England was putting on a lot of pressure and making it very difficult for him to go back to Tampa. … But in the end, Godwin did not want to leave Tampa,” said Adam Schefter, via Andrew Callahan’s transcription.
Based on Godwin’s words, along with the reports from Rapoport and Schefter, it seems the Patriots drove negotiations with the receiver, perhaps even offering the most money. Mind you, this conclusion is speculation and not the definitive truth. However, the Patriots may have very well done everything they could to acquire Godwin, yet they still were unable to land him.
Regardless, Godwin clearly enjoys being in Tampa. At the end of the day, he decided it was the right place for his family and the next stage of his career. More money was not enough to change his mind.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
