Chris Godwin DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that he's optimistic that wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) will be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2025 regular season. "I'm hoping he's on the field Week 1. I'll have more to know about that after [this] month goes on - see how he feels when he gets running and practicing and everything else," Bowles said. Despite suffering a dislocated left ankle in Week 7 of 2024 that sidelined him for the rest of the season, the Bucs re-signed Godwin this offseason to a three-year contract. The 29-year-old pass-catcher will continue to form an excellent one-two punch with veteran Mike Evans when he's healthy, but there will be plenty of skepticism about his fantasy value until we see him get back on the field this offseason. The good news is he was averaging a career-high 19.7 PPR fantasy points per game last year before his injury.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are re-signing wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) to a three-year deal worth $66 million on Monday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Godwin will be guaranteed $44 million at signing. There were some whispers that the New England Patriots would make a play to snag Godwin, but the Bucs made sure that the 29-year-old never reached the open market. With Tee Higgins being franchise-tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals, Godwin was the next most attractive wideout in free agency at the receiver position. Godwin ended up playing in only seven games in 2024 due to a fractured ankle, but before that season-ending injury, he was on pace for career-best numbers with 50 receptions, 576 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 62 targets. Despite the presence of Mike Evans, Godwin should continue to have a big role in Tampa's passing attack in 2025 as long as he doesn't have any negative effects from his ankle injury.

Free-agent wide receiver Chris Godwin is expected to draw a ton of attention in free agency this offseason. The Pro-Bowl wideout will hit free agency for the first time since he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017. The Bucs have made it known they want to bring back Godwin, but decided not to franchise tag him and let him walk into free agency. The New England Patriots are rumored to be a heavy favorite for Godwin, but he should have a handful of suitors. The 29-year-old has been excellent since coming into the league in 2017. It's worth noting that Godwin only played seven games this past season due to a season-ending ankle injury. Before that, Godwin posted three straight season of 1,000-plus receiving yards, so the injury shouldn't impact his value on the open market. It wouldn't be shocking to see Godwin get a deal that is worth more than $25 million per season.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that if Tampa Bay Buccaneers impending free-agent wide receiver Chris Godwin makes it to free agency, don't be surprised if the New England Patriots get involved. It's no secret that the Patriots are looking to upgrade their receiving corps with a bona fide No. 1 wideout this offseason, and after the Cincinnati Bengals placed the franchise tag on wideout Tee Higgins, Godwin would be by far and away the top available pass-catcher on the open market. However, Tampa has made Godwin a priority, and the feeling around the NFL is that they will make him a Buc for the rest of his career. It wasn't financially feasible for the Bucs to use the franchise tag on Godwin for a third straight season, but they may look to lock him up before he becomes available to other teams. The 29-year-old was on his way to a career year in 2024 alongside Mike Evans before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in mid-October.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) agreed on Tuesday to move the void date of his current contract to the final day of the new league year on March 12. Godwin's previous contract was due to void soon, which would have triggered $18 million in dead money against the team's 2025 salary cap. Tampa still has the option to place the franchise tag on the 28-year-old, but that won't be happening for the third straight year. The restructure of Godwin's contract gives the two sides more time to work out a contract extension since he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. Before suffering a season-ending dislocated left ankle in Week 7 against the Ravens, Godwin was on his way to a career year with 50 catches, 576 yards and five touchdowns. He should be fully recovered for the start of the 2025 season and will reprise his role as a heavily targeted No. 2 WR if he stays in Tampa.