Chris Godwin 2023 Outlook
Godwin topped 100 receptions last season for the first time in his career despite missing two games in September with a hamstring injury. He has caught 202 passes over the past two seasons and should continue to prosper despite the retirement of Tom Brady. For now, the Tampa Bay quarterback will likely be Baker Mayfield with unproven Kyle Trask also in the mix for the position. So Godwin will have to build rapport with whomever wins the job. Godwin topped 1,000 yards for the second straight season and third time in four campaigns, and he should reach that total again this season if he avoids serious injuries. However, he didn't even average 10 yards per catch -- which was a career worst -- after averaging more than 15 twice earlier in his career. He also has caught just eight scoring passes over the past two seasons after hauling in 23 over the previous three seasons. Godwin consistently got open for passes as he made six or more on 13 occasions. Godwin had two 100-yard outings, one coming when he caught a season-high 12 passes.
Chris Godwin 2022 Outlook
Godwin had the franchise tag applied for the second year in a row, but he won't be playing on it for a second straight season after he agreed to a three-year deal worth $60 million, with $40 million guaranteed in March. Godwin made 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns before tearing an ACL in Week 15. Tom Brady and the Bucs missed him in the postseason. That's no surprise. A third-round pick out of Penn State in the 2017 NFL draft, Godwin quickly established himself as one of the most complete pass-catchers in the league and arguably the steal of that entire draft class. He has 342 receptions for 4,643 yards and 29 touchdowns in his career. According to NFL.com, Godwin is key to everything the Bucs' offense does. He can play anywhere, wins off the line, and is among the best route-runners in the game. This year, Godwin will once again team up with Mike Evans to give Tom Brady a solid starting due. Former Falcon Russell Gage will try to fill the No. 3 role vacated by Antonio Brown. Godwin's rehab is worth watching. According to The Athletic, the goal is to have him fully healthy when it matters most this season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they took a slower approach and had him on the physically unable to perform list for the first six weeks of the season.
Chris Godwin 2021 Outlook
Godwin will stick around in Tampa with the defending Super Bowl champs in a move that helps keep the team's top targets intact for quarterback Tom Brady. Tampa can still strike a long-term deal with Godwin, one that could end up backloaded to remove some financial pressure from the team's immediate situation, but the franchise tag ensures Godwin won't land somewhere else in 2021. Godwin is fine with such an outcome, because winning makes him happy (and that nearly $16 million guaranteed salary doesn't hurt either). "I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I'm going to be miserable for some years to come just for a couple extra dollars," Godwin said. "I think my happiness is paramount in all of this and part of that happiness is winning." Godwin battled through injuries in his first season playing with Brady, serving as an excellent No. 2 target alongside Mike Evans. But Godwin came on strong in the postseason, catching 16 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' four playoff games, including a five-catch, 110-yard performance in Tampa's upset of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC title game. Fantasy managers are hoping he can build on that this fall.
