Hope was still held out that the Bucs could agree to a deal with Chris Godwin, but as the clock kept ticking, both sides ran out of time. July 15 was the final day for players on the franchise tag and their organization to agree on a long-term extension.

One team official told Pewter Report that there was still a chance something could get done by Thursday, but the situation was described as “not optimistic.”

Godwin will play on the franchise tag for the 2021 season. It guarantees him $15.983 million for this season, but does not provide any long-term security. Currently, it’s not known how much money Godwin is looking for, but it is likely between $16-$18 million per season.

The Bucs placed the franchise tag on Godwin on March 9, and he signed nine days later on March 18. Tampa Bay had to jump through many hoops in order to re-sign all of their starting players. Using the tag became necessary if they wanted to keep Godwin for at least another season.

Godwin caught 65 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games last season. He battled through a concussion, hamstring injury and a broken finger to help the Bucs win Super Bowl LV.

While it was a very productive year, it didn’t quite live up to the hype of Godwin’s 2019 season, when he had a career high 86 receptions and for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games. This also led to his first Pro Bowl selection.

There’s no question that Godwin is one of the most important players on the Bucs’ offense. He’s arguably the most consistent receiver that Tampa Bay has. Plus his ability to dominate out of the slot makes him one of the most versatile as well.

The Bucs will face the daunting task of attempting to re-sign top level players next year such as Carlton Davis, Jason Pierre-Paul and Ryan Jensen. This doesn’t mean they won’t be able to get Godwin either, it’ll just take some maneuvering once again.