Chris Godwin comments should allow the Buccaneers to breathe

Buccaneers fans across the country should let out a collective sigh of relief after Chris Godwin’s comments on the Pat McAfee Show.

During an offseason filled with uncertainty, the Buccaneers have taken one step closer to bringing back one key free agent. Nothing is guaranteed with a player as talented as Chris Godwin, but he has made his intentions for free agency clear on the Pat McAfee Show.

After winning a Super Bowl ring, Godwin isn’t merely chasing a check. The horrifically-underpaid receiver will have the biggest payday of his career coming soon, but Godwin made it clear that his next decision is not just based on money.

Could the Jets afford to make Godwin one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL? Could the Jaguars afford a top-tier receiver to pair with their new face of the franchise? Absolutely, but everyone knows why these moves would happen.

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Football is a business above all other things. Loyalty is great, but Godwin has shown plenty of that during his time in Tampa. Now, he needs to focus on himself and his family, which only comes from a contract that he deserves. Godwin may get a bigger payday from a team like the Jets or Jaguars, but those situations are far more precarious than the one in Tampa.

Chris Godwin knows what he has with the Buccaneers

Godwin would leave behind a proven quarterback in Tom Brady, a great coaching staff, and close teammates for a mountain of uncertainty. Urban Meyer isn’t exactly known for his ability to stay in one place reliably, and the Jets are a massive question mark from top to bottom.

No one would disparage Godwin for making either decision as both could be in his best interest, but this would come at the cost of success. Fortunately for the Bucs, Godwin is trying to find balance.

Given the current events with the shrinking cap space, Godwin already knows that he will get a lesser deal in Tampa than most other places, but he also realizes that his legacy has the greatest chance to expand with his current team. He did just win a Super Bowl, after all.

While “a couple extra dollars” is more like millions of dollars, Godwin still made it clear in his statement that he wants to remain with the Bucs. Godwin knows the situation in Tampa and has probably already realized that there are benefits to staying put that outweigh the immediate financial benefits of leaving. Phew.

Nothing is a sure thing yet, but the Chris Godwin offseason story just got a bit brighter for Bucs fans.

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