Buccaneers Are Keeping Chris Godwin One Way Or Another

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could become a wildly different team in 2022.

A lot of their key players are free agents, including Rob Gronkowski, Ryan Jensen, Leonard Fournette, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Ndamukong Suh.

However, the team is holding on to wide receiver Chris Godwin no matter what.

After all, they should retain one of their bright spots on offense.

Despite missing a number of games, the former Penn State standout finished with 98 receptions, 1,103 yards, and five touchdowns.

Keeping him in Tampa Bay will help them attract a free-agent quarterback who would want to come to their team.

That said, the Buccaneers have two options in retaining the five-year veteran, as ESPN’s Dianna Russini shared.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently working on a long term contract for receiver Chris Godwin. If a deal is not struck between the two sides by 4pm today, expect Tampa Bay to tag him for the second consecutive year, per sources.
One source "This could come down to the wire"

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 8, 2022

Rusini said, “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently working on a long-term contract for receiver Chris Godwin. If a deal is not struck between the two sides by 4 pm today, expect Tampa Bay to tag him for the second consecutive year, per source. One source [said] ‘This could come down to the wire.'”

NFL teams will have until 4 p.m. ET today, March 8, to designate franchise or transition tags.

A player under the tag will get a one-year fully guaranteed deal worth the average of the top five cap hits in the position from last season.

For 2022, the franchise tag for wide receivers is at around $18.5 million.

But if the Buccaneers tag Godwin for the second straight year, his cap hit will increase to $19.1 million.

Can Both Parties Agree To A Long-Term Deal?

Giving Godwin the franchise tag is more of a preventive measure to keep him from going into free agency.

Likewise, both sides have until July to finalize a contract extension because Godwin is still under contract with Tampa Bay.

Regardless of what happens, the wideout will suit up for the Buccaneers next season.