While no player has been franchise-tagged three times since the 2006 CBA made such a move prohibitive, the Buccaneers would still like to keep Chris Godwin off the free agent market.
The Bucs, who have also done very well to convince core players to re-sign once they become free agents, remain interested in re-signing Godwin. Jason Licht confirmed this previously rumored stance, indicating that the Bucs still view their accomplished WR2 highly despite another major injury — this one a dislocated ankle.
“Hopefully, we can come to an agreement with him because Chris means the world to this organization, to all of us individually but as an organization as a whole,” Licht said, via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine. “Nobody has been more resilient than him. We’ve been down this road, a similar path, with him. Nobody has been more resilient and works harder than him. So those are the good things. If I were a betting man, I’d bet on Chris. But the facts are we have to wade through some variables here.”
Licht alluding to variables makes sense. The Bucs re-signed Mike Evans in 2024, though he is already back in a contract year, and saw third-round pick Jalen McMillan progress down the stretch. Another Godwin deal could interfere with McMillan’s development, and another contract for the team’s longtime Evans sidekick would significantly increase the franchise’s allocation at wide receiver.
The Bucs have a history in prioritizing Godwin despite an injury. They applied a second franchise tag on the 2017 third-round pick in 2022, after he had suffered ACL and MCL tears the previous December, and then gave him a three-year, $60MM extension. Godwin returned on time and has since posted two more 1,000-yard seasons. Betting on Godwin once again falls in line with the Bucs’ M.O., which has involved retaining core players. They were able to keep Evans off the market last year, even as a Tee Higgins franchise tag would have driven up his value. Higgins is expected to be tagged again, and it would stand to reason Godwin would want to gauge his free agency value for the first time.
As could be expected, the Bucs will not re-tag Godwin, Laine adds. Even if Godwin reaches the legal tampering period unsigned, the Bucs have shown they can retain talent. They re-signed Shaq Barrett after he was free to speak to other teams in 2021, and they did the same with Carlton Davis (2022) and Jamel Dean (2023). The team did not let Baker Mayfield hit free agency, signing him a day before last year’s legal tampering period. Tampa Bay has until 11am CT on March 10 to negotiate exclusively with Godwin, a four-time 1,000-yard receiver and the second-leading pass catcher in franchise history.
The Bucs already moved Godwin’s void date back, with Laine confirming it was delayed from Feb. 17 to March 12. This is something they did not do for Evans, who counted as both an active contract and dead money on the team’s 2024 payroll. Sliding the void date back will allow the team more time to re-sign Godwin, as a re-up before that point would keep void years-driven dead money off the Bucs’ cap sheet. The team has already seen edge rusher Anthony Nelson‘s deal void, per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman; this will create $2.65MM in dead money for the team in 2025.
Elsewhere on the Bucs’ roster, they are planning to allow slot cornerback Tykee Smith compete for a starting safety job. Todd Bowles said (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud) the 2024 third-round pick, who has primarily operated as the Bucs’ nickel performer, will vie for a starting safety job. That would allow for more Smith playing time, but it would also give the Bucs work to do in the slot again.
Jordan Whitehead primarily worked as Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s wingman at safety last season, though the two-time Buccaneer missed five games. Whitehead’s second Bucs contract runs through the 2025 season. Christian Izien, who has played a few roles (including safety) for the team during his two-year career, would be a candidate to return to the slot if Smith’s safety push sticks, Stroud adds. Izien worked regularly in the slot in 2023.