Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. has been in the NFL since 2017, and in just his second career season, the Penn State grad caught seven touchdowns with over 800 receiving yards. He was more of an explosive deep threat when he first signed on to the Buccaneers, averaging over 14 yards per reception in each of his first three seasons.
But somewhere along the way, Godwin's role changed next to No. 1 guy Mike Evans, and he hasn't averaged 13 yards per catch since the 2019 season when he made his first and only Pro Bowl and blew up for over 1,300 yards - a mark he hasn't touched since.
Now heading into his age 30 season, Godwin isn't suddenly going to blow up for 1,300 yards again, but he has an even more important role in the Buccaneers offense with Evans leaving his side for the first time ever to take on a job with the San Francisco 49ers out west.
Chris Godwin needs to step up for Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense
While there is a lot of hype around young Bucs receivers Emeka Egbuka and even Jalen McMillan and explosive rookie Ted Hurst, Chris Godwin Jr. is the new top dog in the Bay, and he will be entrusted as the veteran leader and the main chain mover in the offense.
For Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, what they need from Godwin the most in 2026 is clear. They don't need him to be what he was in the late 2010s and blow up defenses deep, because they are going to ask the young guns to do that.
What they need from the experienced former second round pick is to be a safe pair of hands, get open, and move the chains.
They can't count on Emeka Egbuka or even Jalen McMillan yet for consistency on a snap to snap or even game to game basis, so they are going to count on Godwin to bridge that gap. When Mayfield needs a first down on a scramble, a tough third down play, or a clutch catch in the red zone, the play call and the signal caller are going to be looking to Godwin as the example among the receivers.
Godwin has had four seasons in his career with over 80 catches and one with over 100, and the Buccaneers are going to need that version of their WR1 to show up in the 2026 season if they are to improve upon their awful 2025 finish.
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