“People Don’t Understand The Man”
April 2nd, 2025
So at the NFL Owners meetings this week, Joe caught up with someone with a connection to the big offseason deal that wasn’t: star Bucs receiver Chris Godwin to the Patriots.
Various reports said Godwin turned down what could have been as much as $20 million over the life of a three-year deal in New England. Instead, he stayed home with the Bucs.
Joe was told the Patriots saw Godwin as a critical piece for not only their young quarterback but for the entire culture they’re trying to build with a new head coach. That’s why there was a blank check kind of attitude for Godwin. He was to be more than just a receiver.
Enter Todd Bowles.
The Bucs head coach sat down with SiriusXM NFL Radio and it was as if he tried to explain the Patriots’ mindset to fans.
“People don’t understand the man,” Bowles said of Godwin. “He’s an outstanding human being. He’s a tireless worker. Him and Mike Evans are best friends, so that bodes well for us in that regard. And you got to make him stop practicing. He’s such an impressive guy and he’s such a competitor that he’ll do anything to help us win. You can’t say enough about him.
“With him coming back says a lot about who he is. There’s not a lot of people that would have turned down that kind of money. But where he stands in life and who he is as a man says a lot about him when he did that.”
As Joe has written, what a massive X factor Godwin is for the Bucs this season. The team is literally adding him to what was an explosive offense in the 10 games Godwin missed.
April 2nd, 2025 at 10:22 am
Godwin has been and is a great Buc!
April 2nd, 2025 at 10:31 am
Second favorite buc, right after Evans. And the list of favorites is long these days, I’m noticing. Go bucs!
April 2nd, 2025 at 10:43 am
First home game he should be leading the team on the field with Bucs flag in hand to a standing ovation of rowdy Bucs fans!!!! He is what every fan wants in a player for their Team!
April 2nd, 2025 at 10:50 am
We are so lucky to have so many dedicated players on this team! It instills a winning attitude! Evans, Godwin, Mayfield, LeVonte , Wirfs and guys like Gholston who just show up and ball without getting the accolades! I think that is why guys like Devin White just don’t fit! Good player just not on the same wave length!
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:09 am
It didn’t hurt the cause that CG14 likes getting the ball from Mayfield. Chris was on his way to his best season ever until the injury.
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:13 am
take your time CG…we need you for DEC & JAN!!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:14 am
This is why Todd Bowles is a head coach. He reveres his players and they revere him. Bravo coach. I got misty reading that.
Now – if he would only realize that hiring a full time defensive coordinator to be his apprentice was a good idea………
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:15 am
Is so simple….Is not JUST money, there are other factors too….
This people are already rich, is not about having more million that what they already have, not that hard to understand….
People with the right human values….is not JUST about money
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:24 am
Patriots: coaching change, franchise in turmoil, inexperience at QB, questionable offensive line — all equals career suicide.
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:27 am
I love Godwin, I’m not a fan of the injury history and paying multiple WR’s over $20 million when you have so many holes on defense though
Hope he can stay healthy
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:28 am
Hi. I think the Bucs should make a billboard or something similar showing, Evans Godwin and David as hallmarks of the franchise. They need to put the billboard above Tampa Stadium. Those guys really are the culture of the franchise . I would add heck they are the culture for the whole organization . The Bucs organization would be lost without them.
Those 3 are quite the class act!! . There is no doubting that.
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:39 am
Dynamic Duo – Evans and Godwin!
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:47 am
That and the guaranteed money right todd heck yeah go bucs
April 2nd, 2025 at 12:10 pm
Both Godwin and his wife are just class act people. It’s just that simple.
April 2nd, 2025 at 12:15 pm
I’m obviously happy he did it!!! Also like everyone else admire CG14’s character.
Here’s is what I do not get. CG is already worth well north of 60 MILLION $$ before this contract was ever signed.
This absolutely not to diminish CG’s choice. What he did is indeed rare these days. What I do not get is why it’s rare? Honestly.
The money being bandied about is mind boggling and it no longer makes any sense to me any more than passing GO was worth another $200. Monopoly! Talk about a dated reference. At any rate the NFL is all monopoly money now.
April 2nd, 2025 at 12:28 pm
stpetebucsfan Says:
April 2nd, 2025 at 12:15 pm
The money being bandied about is mind boggling and it no longer makes any sense to me any more than passing GO was worth another $200. Monopoly! Talk about a dated reference. At any rate the NFL is all monopoly money now.
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It’s “monopoly money” unless you try to take your wife and kids to an NFL game. Then it’s real money and it really hurts after parking, hot dogs and other concessions.
April 2nd, 2025 at 12:45 pm
“Smarter than Joe Says:
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:27 am
I love Godwin, I’m not a fan of the injury history and paying multiple WR’s over $20 million when you have so many holes on defense though
Hope he can stay healthy”
Shouldn’t be a problem if he can avoid taking cheap shots. The guy has had two injuries – both related to cheap hits and not training – and some of you think he’s “injury prone”.
Sheesh.
April 2nd, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Also – if you really want to go to the ‘injury prone’ label – Evans is far more injury prone and fragile than Godwin. Love Evans, but you never know if/when his hamstring issues will flare up.
April 2nd, 2025 at 1:00 pm
CG14 has been a great Buc…But he’s 29 & injuries have piled up over the years. So, for me, I would not have invested another $60M on resigning him.
I would have offered a lower $ package, allowing him to take the Pats offer & Bucs to bank a good comp pick for 2026. While backfilling his roster replacement in the draft for ton less coin.
Fact is, no one in the organization has been very open about the long-term significance of his ankle injury, nor a realistic recovery time line…At this point, no one really knows if CG14 will be the player he was before – once he returns. Definitely won’t see his 4.4 speed anytime soon if ever again. It’s also difficult to imagine his route running will return to preinjury crispness.
Which is why I was “out” on resigning him. A 29yr old WR with a bum wheel was just too much to count on while throwing $20M/yr at it. (Your not paying for the player he was, your paying for the player he is today & tomorrow!)
You can talk locker room culture, team leader, tireless worker & fan favorite all you want…But the NFL is a business & results driven. This CG14 contract may not look so team friendly if he doesn’t produce like a $20M WR for the next 3yrs.
100% hope I am wrong & CG14 has 3 career yrs in a row…but I just can’t see that being the case under current circumstances.
April 2nd, 2025 at 1:31 pm
Rah rah rah! I’m glad Godwin is a Buc. Lots of excitement and talk of deep playoff runs but no one seems to mention or think about that if something happens to Baker and he is out that our back up is Trask. The wheels will fall off this team in a heartbeat if that happens. 🙁
April 2nd, 2025 at 1:32 pm
David G, I couldn’t agree more. I love Chris, both the player and the man.
April 2nd, 2025 at 1:57 pm
catcard202, I’d say that “locker room culture, team leader, tireless worker” go a long way towards driving results.
April 2nd, 2025 at 2:06 pm
If you think they paid him 20 mil a year on some hopes and dreams they have all the X-rays and doctor consults they are not gambling. Bucs have all the info on his recovery and would not have signed off on maybe.
April 2nd, 2025 at 2:41 pm
I know this is about Godwin but look at how terrifying it would be to have Wirfs running towards you to put a block on you.
April 2nd, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Again – glad Jason is the GM and not some know it all simp with a keyboard.
April 2nd, 2025 at 7:29 pm
He did it for his kids, his family loves Tampa Bay switching schools and leaving all you’re friends behind can be really hard for kids sometimes money isn’t everything.
April 2nd, 2025 at 9:01 pm
Not 20 mil when you factor MASS vs FL taxes.
April 2nd, 2025 at 9:02 pm
Buc Fan in Phoenix You couldnt be more wrong. Trask was resigned for good reason. Go hate in Phoenix
April 2nd, 2025 at 9:39 pm
I’ve mentioned it here on JBF.com several times.
Coach Swiss Cheese confirmed it.
Chris and Mike are very tight.
That’s not the only reason Chris decided to stay, but it’s a fair bet it was part of the reason.
Regardless, I’m just glad Chris is still on our team.
April 2nd, 2025 at 10:53 pm
Only player I’ve ever had two jerseys of. That says it all already but class act, great player, and great human.
God Bless Chris Godwin!
April 3rd, 2025 at 5:58 am
Chris booStarf the basket ambala geek. Said Gidwin made a big mistake and the Drake May is going to better than Baker and He should have got the money he would jave been a number 1 and he xould grow with the team as the team will have a better record than the bucs soon. Just your basic hey we have to talk about Tamp Bay Chris Broussard ” what’s this Godwin guy. Oh he from Tampa, Tampa. What he play wide out. Yeah, yeah I seen him. Let me look this up. Oh darn he’s good but damn he fell off last season.” Person ” he was hurt” yeah but im basketball you sit out games and still get stats. Right let’s do this. My man should jave taken that 22 million and gone to a great coach with a great q.b Dake mart. Mike Vravel is going ro kill it this year. I mean Godwin is all about family, but you gotta take that money. Tampa ain’t going nowhere. They didn’t even win the division the last 2 years and they lost to the Texans in the playoffs. He tripping money is money and that could set him up. Tampa ain’t going nowhere with Bob Towles. Jayson lickedher is a pretty good g.m. he drafted that big guy Albert Hanynseworth and Dwight meany. Big mistake.:
April 3rd, 2025 at 9:55 am
Before the injuries, the best wide receiver we’ve ever had. Antonio Brown, Godwin, Mike Evans, likely in that order. Even if Antonio was a rent-a-piece, can’t deny Antonio was carving up defenses in an offense where he was the 4th option.
Godwin pre injury was just a much more complete ball player than Mike. Love ME13, but he still has room to get better, which is kind of crazy when you’re 10 years deep, but he came out of college a really raw football player. His development has been fun to watch, and you can tell he works hard at the stuff ppl criticize him for because I see a really collective effort to generate some YAC.