On Monday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport posted on Bluesky that top free agent wide receiver Chris Godwin will be returning to Tampa Bay, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $66 million.
Rapoport went on to say that $45 million is guaranteed for Godwin, and that the receiver opted to take less money to continue playing alongside quarterback Baker Mayfield and fellow wideout Mike Evans.
With the NFL’s “legal tampering” period of free agency opening at noon on Monday, news on the top players available was expected to come down quickly. Nine minutes into that window, the Patriots’ top target in free agency was reportedly no longer available.
As recently as Friday, Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal posted on X.com that the Patriots were “expected to be the driver” in the free agency sweepstakes for the 29-year-old, writing, “It's gonna cost more money than you would have thought (think in excess of $25 million per) despite the season-ending injury.”
It turns out Godwin was willing to take a hometown discount for the only place he’s ever called home during his NFL career.
Serving as Tampa’s No. 2 receiver next to a future hall of famer in Evans, Godwin has still been able to put up top-end production compared to others at his position across the league. In his eight-year career, the Penn State-product has amassed 579 catches for 7,266 receiving yards and 39 touchdowns. And as we all know well in these parts, he won a Super Bowl with Patriots legend Tom Brady during the 2020 season.
Where will the Patriots turn to next with a wide receiver room in desperate need of a facelift heading into 2025?
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