Chris Godwin Rejected $30M AAV Patriots Contract, Steelers Interest to Stay with Bucs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin turned down a hefty contract offer from the New England Patriots and received interest from several other teams before re-signing with Tampa Bay in free agency.

Godwin told Dan Pompei of The Athletic that the Patriots offered an average of $30 million per year on a multiyear deal. The Pittsburgh Steelers were also one of three other teams looking to add the veteran.

The 29-year-old ended up signing a three-year, $66 million contract with the Buccaneers instead.

His deal also includes $44 million guaranteed.

Godwin told Pompei that Tampa Bay first contacted his agent regarding a new contract during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, but the team was limited by salary-cap constraints.

The receiver was also coming off a 2024 campaign in which he appeared in a career-low seven games due to a dislocated ankle that required season-ending surgery. He hauled in 50 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games before suffering the injury.

The Penn State product revealed that his comfort with his teammates as well as the Buccaneers' staff factored into his decision to stay.

"It's not always the case that you are surrounded by a ton of good people who care about the right things, who have similar goals and treat people with respect," Godwin said. "The first thing for me is I want to work with people that I enjoy it with."

He's spent his entire eight-year career in Tampa Bay, after the team selected him with a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft.

Godwin earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 and has surpassed 1,000 yards in four seasons during his Buccaneers tenure, which included three straight years from 2021-23. He also won a championship with Tampa Bay during the 2020 season.

While Godwin received offers that contained a larger average annual value compared to his eventual contract, he ultimately chose not to experience a change of scenery.