NFL Analysis
2/11/25
7 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: 5 Best Fits For Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin
It's time for Chris Godwin to get paid like a top wide receiver again.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave Godwin a three-year, $60 million extension in 2022, making him one of the highest-paid slot receivers in football. However, he's now back on the open market and will be seeking another long-term payday.
It will be hard for the Buccaneers to bring Godwin back with their cap situation, and they may not even want to with the emergence of Jalen McMillan as a No. 2 option behind Mike Evans. There's also Godwin's extensive injury history, which includes a torn ACL, dislocated ankle, and multiple other ankle injuries.
However, when healthy, the 28-year-old wideout is one of the most valuable slots in the league. On top of being an efficient receiver, he also brings value as a blocker. The 33rd Team's Dan Pizzuta has Godwin as the third-best free agent available this offseason, citing his ability to win vs. man and zone coverage as a versatile option out wide or in the slot.
Even if the Buccaneers can't afford to bring Godwin back, there are plenty of teams that would love to have the veteran on their team.
Chris Godwin Landing Spots
Washington Commanders 
Jayden Daniels asserted himself with one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in NFL history, leading the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship. Now that management knows what they have in their young quarterback, general manager Adam Peters can focus on loading up talent around the emerging star under center.
The Commanders have plenty of resources to do that, too. They have $78 million in cap space and a solid war chest of draft picks, but they also have a major need at wide receiver. Terry McLaurin is a clear No. 1 target, but Dyami Brown, Noah Brown, Jamison Crowder, and Olamide Zaccheaus are all unrestricted free agents, leaving Washington with few pass-catching options at the moment.
Godwin makes a lot of sense for Washington as an underneath option, allowing McLaurin to attack the intermediate and deep parts of the field. The majority of Godwin's work this past season came when targeted 0-9 yards downfield, catching 35-of-41 targets for 357 yards, 200 yards after catch, and four touchdowns.
That's a nice way to diversify Washington's pass game with another established star, giving Daniels an exciting receiver duo to help him continue developing into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye doesn't have a true safety blanket unless you want to count veteran TE Hunter Henry. While the New England Patriots tried to surround Maye with young receivers through the draft, none of them looked like reliable playmakers, at least in their first NFL seasons.
The numbers look even worse when looking at New England's receivers. Demario Douglas led all wideouts with just 1.40 yards per route run, while Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne were the only other receivers over 1.00 YPRR at 1.26 and 1.06, respectively.
None of those numbers are good enough, but Godwin could quickly change that. He was averaging a career-best 2.36 YPRR before going down to injury through seven games. His inside-out versatility could also allow the Patriots to keep working with Douglas, who has looked like the team's most promising young receiver.
The Patriots can also afford to throw a bag at Godwin, thanks to having a league-high $120 million in cap space this offseason. They don't have future franchise players to focus on extending for the foreseeable future, so they can offer Godwin top-of-market money if they're interested in the former second-team All-Pro.
Las Vegas Raiders
The No. 1 option on the Las Vegas Raiders roster right now isn't even a wide receiver or a veteran. Rookie Brock Bowers set the league on fire, setting multiple rookie records, including the catch record with 112 receptions in his first season.
However, the Raiders still need an established weapon for whoever plays quarterback in 2025. Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew were never supposed to be long-term options for the Raiders, and they're likely to take a big swing at the position this offseason.
Jakobi Meyers has been a respectable outside target through the years, but the Raiders could benefit from a versatile slot option like Godwin. They can also afford to make a run at him, thanks to having $92.5 million in cap space to work with this offseason.
Plus, if the Raiders trade some assets to move up to take either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, a rookie quarterback could use a pair of safety blankets in the quick game like Godwin and Bowers.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Some of the reasons why Godwin makes sense for Washington also apply to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That's not talking about Pittsburgh's quarterback situation, but pairing Godwin with a deep-threat outside receiver. George Pickens thrives in those situations, but the lack of firepower on the rest of the Steelers' offense has allowed opponents to shut down their No. 1 option, leading to frustration and a lack of explosive plays and points on the board.
Pittsburgh's biggest offseason question is what it plans on doing at the quarterback position. However, regardless of what the Steelers do at quarterback, they need to add some more firepower to the offense. They have more than $40 million in cap space and have hit on enough draft picks that they have some young contributors to build around if they can find the right quarterback.
Whether it's a Russell Wilson reunion or someone like Aaron Rodgers coming to town, having an underneath option in the slot like Godwin would make the offense look significantly more competent in 2025.
San Francisco 49ers
Don't sleep on the San Francisco 49ers in the wide receiver market.
Despite having some established weapons in Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, along with an emerging young target in Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers need to consider a replacement for Deebo Samuel if they find a trade partner.
Samuel's play style is almost impossible to replicate, but the 49ers still need some kind of versatility at receiver to keep the offense unpredictable, like it's been in previous years. Godwin's ability to line up in multiple spots while providing value as a blocker makes him such a natural fit in a Kyle Shanahan offense, even if he doesn't have the ability as a runner that Samuel brings.
If there were MVP awards given out for each team, Chris Godwin deserves the Bucs one. They ask him to do so much, like blocking a linebacker here, and he does it well enough that it ices the game. pic.twitter.com/HBf2WJii3B
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) November 15, 2022
The 49ers will have to be strategic if they want to make a run at a top free agent like Godwin. While they have more than $48 million in cap space to work with this offseason, upcoming contract extensions, including one for Brock Purdy, will make their long-term financial situation a bit more tricky.
This is the most unlikely landing spot for Godwin simply because of the financial component. However, from a player-team scheme fit, this would probably be Godwin's dream landing spot to play in Shanahan's offense.
