Chris Godwin Demonstrated His Trust In Baker Mayfield
March 23rd, 2025
Wasn’t just trust.
Joe thinks Chris Godwin’s decision was a whole lot simpler than what others believe it to be.
With Godwin reportedly turning down some $10 to $20 million in additional cash than what the Bucs are paying him, Garrett Podell of CBS believes Baker Mayfield was the big winner in free agency because Godwin turned down the money to stick with the Bucs.
The move by Godwin, Podell believes, is because Godwin trusts Mayfield.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
BSPN reported the New England Patriots were willing to pay up to $30 million a year for free agent wide receiver Chris Godwin to be Drake Maye’s new No. 1 target, but he opted to take a three-year, $66 million deal ($22 million average per year salary), leaving a ton of money on the table to catch passes from Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was on the verge of becoming a journeyman and bouncing around the league for years, but now he’s highly regarded enough for his Pro Bowl receivers to leave close to $10 million on the table to continue to play with him.
Well, Joe is sure there is a nugget of truth to what Podell types. But Joe thinks it is much easier to figure out why Godwin stayed with the Bucs.
Godwin was on pace to have his best season last year when he got hurt against the Crows. Why wouldn’t he trust Mayfield? Godwin’s played two years now with Mayfield and done well.
But let’s be real here: Godwin has a chance to win in Tampa. The Patriots are a garbage team and even though they have a quarterback, it might be at least two seasons before they sniff a playoff berth (no, Joe isn’t as sold as many that Mike Vrabel is all that).
There is a reason why New England was about to dump all that loot in Godwin’s lap. The team, aside from Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez, is bereft of talent.
Also, look where Godwin would have played — in a high-tax state with awful weather. Where would you rather play, in a state income tax-free state where you can wear shorts year-round or a frigid place that gouges you on your millions made?
Aside from the cash, there was no logical reason for Godwin to choose New England over Tampa Bay.
It’s really no more complicated than that.
March 23rd, 2025 at 8:15 am
Remember that game when Brady and Gronk returned to Foxborough stadium? Remember the weather that night? Yeah, I bet Chris (and his wife) remember that as well…
And playing on that turf. Oooffff!!
March 23rd, 2025 at 8:35 am
Awful weather, and hard, cold turf. No thanks.
March 23rd, 2025 at 8:59 am
It’s a “give me the damn ball” thing with Chris. He knows he is Baker’s #1 WR. Chris also knows NE would be an unhappy one year disaster situation.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:09 am
Some of the more pessimistic here derides me for predicting Godwin would take less money to stay here. Dude has already made something like $80 million in his career…. HOW much does he need? Doesn’t have a herd of out of wedlock children, legal troubles…
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:13 am
Last sentence sums it up nicely. The Bucs showed Chris respect and showed him generational wealth. Add in everything else and it is indeed, a no-brainer.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:17 am
I would add family, friends, ME, Bowles, Licht, and the Glazers dedication to him as big reasons he stayed. Money isn’t everything.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:22 am
New England will not be good again, they never won anything before Tom and they haven’t won anything since.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:30 am
ZERO chance he left 8 million per year on the table. ZERO. People don’t pay $8 million per year to maybe win a superbowl (plus he’s already won one) or to be on a winning team. They don’t.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:39 am
The real question is would he have left the extra money from another suitor to play with Trask!? The answer is no
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:42 am
I think Chris will ball this year, to All Pro. We all saw what he did last year before he got hurt, this year will be better. The OL is intact and will become a top 5 unit with the whole line competing with Wirfs to get better in the offseason. Grizz will add plays from Mike McDaniel getting Chris more YAC yards. Palmer will stretch the field with a couple deep throws (he won’t catch them Joe) but the effect will be more space for Chris’s YAC.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:43 am
There comes a point in a player’s career that decisions don’t include money as the top priority.
When a player has earned 50-100 million….how much more do they need to assure generations of wealth for their family.
Make your money……..then enjoy it playing where you like with a team you like.
Great decision……Chris
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:47 am
TBBF, you make a great point! 150 Million after this contract. There comes a time when making a business decision also includes quality of life.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:53 am
Agreed Joe. He was lighting it up before he got hurt. Deff was having the best year of his career. He looked unstoppable. He just keeps getting better. This is why I have no concern that he bounces back from this ankle injury. I believe the ACL injury was worse and look how he came back. It took him a little while. JOE the way he trains and is not complacent is the biggest reason why he comes back even better
March 23rd, 2025 at 10:13 am
Proven qb….great way to look at it. So happy he’s back.
A few points tho: 1) Vrabel is a great HC. While I’m good with Bowles for the time being, Mike’s far and away a better HC IMO. 2) if you watched Maye at NC you know his talent. Dude can ball 3) it’s field turf…not that bad IMO.
Because of almost 20 years (‘01-‘19) NE is now a legacy franchise. Turning down the money and that opportunity says a lot about what Licht and Bowles have built here.
March 23rd, 2025 at 10:29 am
If you make over a million in Massachusetts the state tax rate is 9 percent.
So taking 30 million and 9 percent tax rate — the tax is 2.7 million per year.
So maybe looking at the difference between 27.3 million and 22 million a year is a fair starting perspective — If that is the case it is about 5.3 million a year.
Further MA is considered generally more expensive than Florida (10 or 20 percent more) although it appears Florida is catching up.
Now, I am not saying that I have figured it out because there are lots of complexities that I have not mentioned.
But to me, there seems to be financial reasons that really kept it a lot closer so obviously the desire to stay with a more competitive team and culture you know made it maybe an easy decision for someone that thinks all of those things through.
Praise Chris Godwin for having that foresight.
March 23rd, 2025 at 11:58 am
Once you minus out state income taxes and performance related incentives, the money was likely much closer than the $20 million being reported. IMO this was always about the guaranteed cash which I felt like the Bucs would match nearly any number….thats what players know they can count on. The other terms/incentives are generally just fluff on the backend of the contract that nobody ever sees.
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:04 pm
Excellent JBF article. Hammer meets nail on head.
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:36 pm
CG14 & ME13 have both played with the best quarterback there is, TB12. Instead of hitting free agency when they both had the chance, they chose to stay and play with BM6 as their quarterback. So, we have 2 HOF receivers, who have HOF aspirations and they both had a chance to move on and play with “better” quarterbacks in order to improve their chances at achieving their aspirations but they chose to stay with BM6. I wonder what they think about BM6 talents?? They believe in BM6!! They both believe in BM6!! And because of who they are, what they have done and who they have done it with, they know good things are going to happen and happen soon. And that’s all you need to know about BM6, ME13 & CG14 RM0!!!
March 23rd, 2025 at 12:55 pm
Good point!
March 23rd, 2025 at 3:09 pm
Mayfield threw over 70 percent completion rate 2 of three years in college. Was looked at as the best quarterback in college those years. First 5 years in the NFL he didn’t look like the best quarterback in the NFL. In college he was throwing to CeeDee Lamb and Mark Andrews and Hollywood Brown amongst others. His last 2 years in the NFL he’s looked like the best QB in the NFL. Throwing to Evans and Godwin amongst others. Having superstar receivers sure helps the QB. Especially when they’ve got the work ethic and love for the game that these receivers have. Many QBs have never had these type of receivers to play with and I’m sure Baker knows how fortunate he is. He’ll be pushing both these guys to play 3 more years. OBJ was a talented receiver but he couldn’t carry Chris or Mikes lunch pail.
March 23rd, 2025 at 5:00 pm
I think you’re both missing another potentially equal if not bigger reason:
Mike Evans
Chris is obviously supremely confident in himself and I’m sure he believes he’s good enough to be the featured #1 WR on any team… But he’s also smart enough to know that being on the field at the same as Mike Evans means that at least one of them will pretty much always be in single coverage. And that equals good things for both of them. Chris is smart.
March 23rd, 2025 at 9:23 pm
Nobody but lazy “journalists and/or TV analysts” thought Baker was headed to “journeyman status.” Most who knew the truth about Cleveland and Carolina never doubted him. In fact, most of the idiots poor mouthing Mayfield never saw him in the NFL combine in 2018 when he was clearly the best QB at the combine. In fact, even with the bad deal he got with the bad news Browns, Mayfield stats for first 7 league years compare favorably to Tom Brady first 7 years in NFL. Unlike Brady, Mayfield has never had the backing of a successful franchise until Tampa.
March 24th, 2025 at 7:33 am
Onielbuc knows more than Chris Godwin and knows better. Bucs are wasting their time with this Kirby msn.
March 24th, 2025 at 7:34 am
Would a player rather be on a team that has to compete with teams in the NFCS for a Division Title or the likes of the Bills or Ravens? Add on that he can be playing 3 games in a row in December and January where the temperature is 36 degrees if he is lucky. Looking at the Playoffs in the NFC the worse case is a Wild Card game in Philly or Washington. Best case a Wild card at home and a Divisional Game in a Dome.
Mayfield may have been a consideration but there was more than just that in the equation.
March 24th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
That state income tax is really a game changer. The Bucs are able to pay our players less because they do the math and tell them hey you really will be making the same money here in beautiful Tampa FL. I think it has more to do with a winning ball club and a beautiful city than it does money for Sir Godwin.
March 24th, 2025 at 3:34 pm
I know if I were a world class receiver and receiving the ball is what made me rich & famous I would put a lot of stock into who I received that ball from. I wouldn’t want what made me rich & famous to be hindered in anyway. I wouldn’t want my guys completion percentage to drop from 72% down to say a Patrick Mahomes level of 65%. I most definitely wouldn’t want my guys passer rating to go from his current 108 to a Mahomes’ 95. That would hurt my HOF chances. It would take me from being great to being good and good doesn’t get into the HOF. Great does but not good. With that said, there are always other things to consider in life. Life is complicated and they have to be considered. But, who feeds me that little pill would be pretty high on my list of priorities.