Inside linebacker Lavonte David has long been the standard of what it means to be a Buccaneer, but wide receiver Chris Godwin is another player in that conversation.

The Bucs’ star wide receiver has given it his all to recover from two serious injuries and has taken less money to remain in Tampa Bay. What has contributed to Godwin sticking around is the mutual trust between him and the organization. Speaking to the media after agreeing to his three-year, $66 million deal earlier this week, he was beyond grateful for how things have worked out and is confident in being able to come back strong in 2025.

Chris Godwin: “2024 Kicked My Ass A Little Bit”

Chris Godwin did not have the easiest go of things in 2024.

Despite starting off the season on a career pace in former offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s offense, it all came to a screeching halt when Godwin dislocated his ankle on Monday Night Football against the Ravens. That, paired with also losing his father, made it a difficult year for him on and off the field.

With his family in attendance at his press conference this week, Godwin acknowledged they helped make all the hard times worth it.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“2024 kicked my ass a little bit [laughs] but that’s life, right?” Godwin said. “Me and [my wife] Mariah, we talked about this a couple of times, just about the duality of life and the peaks and the valleys of it and we got to see it first hand in a span of 12 months, or really 11 months, where I lost my father and it was arguably the lowest day of my life.

“I spent a lot of time really reflecting about the person that he was, the lessons that he taught me, the things that he had to do for me to be here and then a mere 11 months later, we welcomed the biggest blessing of our lives… I’m grateful. I’m unbelievably grateful.”

Bucs Are Confident That Chris Godwin Regains His Form

The Bucs chose to fully guarantee the first two years of Chris Godwin’s contract, putting trust in his ability to bounce back from a serious injury – again. Although front office decision-makers often take emotion out of the equation when evaluating whether or not to keep or let go of a player, general manager Jason Licht admitted it was special keeping Godwin around.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“[The negotiations] all have a unique aspect to them,” Licht said. “Any time you’re invested… there are certain players on this team right now [with] Lavonte [David], Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] that I would put on the Mount Rushmore right now of having been here for eight years or longer and are pivotal to the culture of our team. When you have players like that and there’s a little angst that you’re not going to be able to keep them or you’re hoping you can, it takes on a little bit of – I hate to admit it – but you get a little bit emotional about it and a little bit extra stressed.

“I’m supposed to stand here before fans and say I don’t get stressed and that I have ice in my veins but I don’t. It’s an emotional time. It took everything out of me to not be texting Chris [Godwin]. It would be like texting your girlfriend when you’re in college. My wife had to say, ‘Don’t push him, don’t push him!’ Anyway when it got over with, it was an awesome moment. They take on a life of their own, but any time it’s a person like Chris, it’s a little bit extra.”

Godwin returned after suffering a torn ACL in 2021 to post a 1,000-yard season in 2022 and did the same in 2023. It took some time for him to regain his prior explosiveness, but he looked as good as ever during the seven games he played in last season, hauling in 50 receptions for 576 receiving yards and five touchdowns. “CG” was well on his way for an even bigger payday than the one he got, but re-upping on his latest deal allows him to play in new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard’s offense, which he is excited about.

“I’m fully confident in my ability to make that come back,” Godwin said. “Unfortunately or fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to do it once before, but it’s just like anything else. If I just focus on my process and actually get better each day, it will take care of itself. I think the beautiful thing is the way this team is set up. We have a ton of playmakers all over the field and I think we had a really good view of that when I got hurt, when Mike [Evans] got hurt and we were still one of the best offenses in the league.

“To me, I look at that as there’s a world of opportunities out there and not just for myself but for all of us. When we’re all healthy, we’re going to be a hell of an offense to try to deal with and that excites me.”

Keeping an entire starting unit intact is an impressive feat, but it’s exactly what the Bucs have done after re-signing Godwin and left guard Ben Bredeson. That affords them the rare chance to truly pick up where they left off and get right back to chasing a Lombardi Trophy.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I’m extremely hungry for it,” Godwin said. “To me, it does not make sense to do this if you’re not in it to win a championship. Again, it’s way too difficult. We put way too much in it, we spend way too much time away from our families, we put our bodies through way too much to be in this to not try to win a championship. Everything that we do is in pursuit of that. To be able to accomplish that, obviously, it would mean the world to us.

Chris Godwin knows firsthand what it is like putting his body through everything in order to win. After getting injured last season, he sat in the cart that came out for him and was seen saying, “Back to work.”

He shared a similar reaction after Jason Licht welcomed him back.

“We agreed on the deal, Jason texted me congratulating me and welcoming me back and I was like, ‘Let’s go chase this thing again.’ That was my exact sentiment because that is my focus.”