Some players just belong in a certain uniform. It’s not about contracts or cap space—it’s about legacy, about the bond between a player and a city that’s seen them through every high and low. Chris Godwin in a Bucs jersey? That just feels right. But in the NFL, “right” doesn’t always mean “forever.” And with free agency looming, Tampa Bay has a decision to make.
Everybody wants Chris Godwin, but he does not want to leave Tampa Bay just yet. Or maybe never. The Bucs WR will be one of the top receivers to hit free agency this season – if the Bucs let him enter the free market. Godwin has been donning the Bucs uniform for eight years now, and his last $60M 3-year franchise tag extension contract ends with the 2024 season. So every franchise out there is keeping an eye on what Tampa Bay is going to do with him. If they let him go, multiple teams are ready to welcome him with open arms. But they’ve got to slow down their horses because the Bucs are not letting him go anywhere. They are keeping Chris right with their QB, Baker Mayfield.
NFL Network’s reporter Sara Walsh dropped by ESPN NFL Insider to spill some tea about Chris Godwin and the Bucs. Or, to be precise, “to talk Chris Godwin and the chances he stays in Tampa.” Walsh took a trip back to the Super Bowl LV game to prove her point. “I’ll go back to that Super Bowl run, and when they won it all, Bruce Arians stood on the stage at the Super Bowl parade afterward and said, ‘They’re all coming back,’ And he would say it about every guy.“
Walsh highlighted how Bucs GM Jason Licht has successfully kept their best players on the squad over the years. Like, for instance, Mike Evans. The 31-year-old has been with the Bucs for 11 seasons. “We saw it with Mike Evans a year ago. He had some opportunities to go somewhere else,” said Sara. The NFL Network reporter also added an emotional factor to why the team would retain Godwin. “Even with the injury that he sustained, nobody knows better than the Buccaneers how hard this guy works… They’re going to try to make it very hard for him to leave the Tampa Bay area.“
Joined the Insiders tonight to talk Chris Godwin and the chances he stays in Tampa. #nfln pic.twitter.com/e1fIZ87inj
— Sara Walsh (@Sara_Walsh) March 7, 2025
And it’s not just Walsh who feels this way. Jenna Laine from ESPN reported, “The Buccaneers want Godwin back, and the wideout wants to return to the club, so there appears to be a mutual desire to get a new deal completed.” For now, it appears that Jason Licht and the Bucs are not saying any goodbyes to Godwin.
While they sort out Godwin’s contract, they might also want to pay attention to LB Lavonte David.
Chris Godwin’s deal in focus; will Lavonte David be next?
It’s not only Chris Godwin who has been playing for years for Tampa Bay. So, if Walsh is right in saying that GM Licht does a real good job in keeping their best players, they might retain LB Lavonte David too. The 35-year-old has played 13 seasons with the team so far. For the past two seasons, the Bucs have been re-signing him on a one-year contract, with 2024 costing them $8.5 million on the cap. Like Godwin, David will be a free agent in about 5 days if the team does not re-sign him.
Meanwhile, Dan Quinn and the Commanders front office are writing a script for Licht to follow. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Thursday, “The #Commanders are re-signing standout LB Bobby Wagner, as the leader and playmaker, is back with Washington.“
The Commanders’ latest move is half a lesson and half a reminder to the Bucs to follow their own playbook. “Possible comp for a Lavonte David deal,” Rick Stroud, a reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, commented on Ian’s X post, just in case the Bucs had forgotten. But there’s no word yet.
Lavonte, who is already 35, is less likely to join a new team now. The chances are that the Bucs sign him for one more year, and then the LB might choose to hang his cleats next year. For now, these are just predictions. There is no official word yet. But with free agency nearing, it’s only a short matter of time before we find out what happens to Godwin and David’s contracts. All in all, it’s a busy offseason for Tampa Bay.
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