There will be a lot of teams looking to sign wide receiver Chris Godwin if he hits free agency next week, but the New England Patriots will reportedly be leading the charge.
New England is desperate to land a No. 1 receiver for Drake Maye this offseason, and Godwin will be the biggest name available in free agency — so long as he doesn’t re-up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the legal tampering period opens Monday. A handful of teams will be vying for his services if he hits the open market, but according to Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal, the Patriots are “expected to be the driver” in the Godwin sweepstakes.
“It’s gonna cost more money than you would have thought (think in excess of $25 million per) despite the season-ending injury,” added Giardi.
Money shouldn’t be an issue for the Patriots, as New England has more cap space than any other team with just over $127 million to work with. The Patriots had one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL in 2024, but Godwin would be an excellent acquisition and a go-to guy for Maye that would help turn around the New England offense.
Chris Godwin’s NFL career
Godwin has played all eight of his NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and won a Super Bowl with quarterback Tom Brady in 2020. He’s racked up four 1,000 receiving-yard seasons, including a career-high 1,333 yards in 2019 when he made his only Pro Bowl.
New England hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman hit the mark in 2019.
The 29-year-old Godwin played just seven games last season before a dislocated ankle ended his campaign early, but he caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns prior to the injury. He’s a talented and consistent receiver when healthy, averaging 72 receptions and 4.9 touchdowns per season over his career.
The legal tampering period in the NFL opens Monday afternoon, and free-agent signings can become official when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12.
