TAMPA, Fla. — Chris Godwin will have bigger paydays ahead, but he didn’t waste any time locking up an enormous salary bump.
The Bucs receiver signed his franchise tender Thursday. It is worth $15.983 million and fully guaranteed for the 2021 season.
The Bucs could still negotiate a long-term deal with Godwin anytime before the start of the new league year in 2022.
In four seasons, Godwin has earned a total of $4.64 million as a third-round pick out of Penn State in 2017. He earned a base salary of $2.133 million in 2020.
Godwin, 25, overcame injuries last season to catch 65 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. He led the Bucs in receiving in 2019 with 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine TDs while earning his first Pro Bowl selection.
There is expected to be a significant increase in the $182.5 million salary cap beginning in 2022, so Godwin will be well-positioned to break the bank then. In the meantime, he will make do by earning nearly four times as much this season as he has in his entire NFL career.
