Former Penn State WR Chris Godwin may have played his last game as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and although GM Jason Licht hopes that isn’t the case, he knows it might be.
Godwin, a 28-year-old who has spent all eight NFL seasons with Tampa Bay, will become a free agent when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. March 12.
Initially, Godwin’s contract had an automatic void date scheduled for Feb. 17.
But Godwin and his agent agreed to move it to March 12, giving both Godwin and the Bucs almost an extra month to try and figure something out.
Godwin has been good for the Buccaneers, his eight-year run highlighted by an All-Pro campaign in 2019 and a Super Bowl ring the next season.
He’s also coming off a dislocated ankle that cut his season short after Week 7, and that’s something Lichit knows the Bucs must consider.
‘I WOULD BET ON CHRIS’
Photo by Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chris Godwin
Here’s what Licht said about Godwin’s future.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“The facts are he had a serious injury and missed a lot of time,” he said. “There’s still some uncertainty with any injury like that at this point. So, (we moved the contract) void so it gives us more options. More flexibility, too, as it pertains to him, and we just have to make a good decision. But hopefully (we) can come to an agreement with him.”
Licht went on to say that Godwin “means the world” to the Buccaneers.
“Nobody has been more resilient than him,” he said. “We’ve been down this road before, a similar path. So nobody’s been more resilient and works harder than him. So, those are the good things, and if I were a betting man, I would bet on Chris. Still, facts are, we have to wade through some variables.”
IF NOT TAMPA, THEN WHERE?
So if Godwin is indeed done with the Buccaneers, where will he end up playing?
Per Tyler Brooke of the 33rd Team, the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers are all realistic options.
The Steelers, in particular, are an interesting option for Penn State fans because many also cheer for the Steelers.
If Godwin leaves Tampa Bay, he’ll go as the second-leading receiver in team history.
At Penn State, he’s sixth on the all-time list and is best known for his role on the 2016 Big Ten title team, where he had 982 yards and 11 touchdowns on 59 catches.
