Four-year NFL veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin received the franchise tag and will not hit the open market. Godwin, a one-time Super Bowl champion, spent the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Buccaneers informed WR Chris Godwin he is being franchise tagged, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Use Franchise Tag on Chris Godwin
Over the past two seasons, Godwin has proved himself to be one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL. The former third-round pick battled through injury last year, appearing in 12 regular-season games while recording 65 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. During the postseason run, Godwin added 16 receptions for 232 yards and one touchdown while helping Tampa Bay take home their first Super Bowl title since the 2002 season.
Godwin initially entered the NFL as a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Penn State product immediately proved that he can make a difference at the NFL level. Appearing in 16 games and starting two, the rookie finished the 2017 season with 34 receptions for 525 yards and one touchdown. He built on that impressive campaign by recording 59 receptions for 842 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018.
Tampa Bay lost Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson during the 2019 offseason, allowing Godwin to finally have a featured role in this passing attack. The athletic freak did not let this opportunity go unwasted, as he spent the year proving that he is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Starting and appearing in 14 games, Godwin recorded 86 receptions on 121 targets for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns. Even though the 2019 Buccaneers did not make the playoff, Godwin and teammate Mike Evans proved that they were in the discussion for best wide receiver duo in football. This pairing played a large part in luring Tom Brady to Tampa Bay, which ultimately resulted in a Super Bowl championship.
Throughout the course of his career, Godwin has recorded 244 receptions for 3,540 yards and 24 touchdowns. Not bad for a third-round pick.
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