Tom Brady has developed an entire brand around his name and number, but he left the New England Patriots this week and signed with a team that already has a high-profile No. 12 on its roster – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Seeing Brady in any uniform other than a Patriots jersey is already going to be extremely weird, but Brady with a different number would be almost unimaginable. Fortunately for the six-time Super Bowl champion, TB12 looks like it will continue to exist in Tampa.
2019 Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin has worn No. 12 throughout his three-year NFL career and his college years at Penn State, but he said Friday that he’ll defer the number to Brady if he wants it. If Brady’s willing to switch, however, Godwin’s definitely keeping the number.
“To me I mean, obviously it’s a very important number. But I mean, at the end of the day, it’s like, if Tom wants it, you know, I kinda gotta defer to that, you know? He’s the GOAT… he’s so accomplished. He’s got the big brand and, you know, just me as a guy that’s still trying to establish himself, I feel like just out of respect, you know, I gotta defer that to him. But if he don’t want it, then by all means I’mma keep it.”
Godwin does take the No. 12 very seriously, so this isn’t necessarily easy for him. He goes by CGtwelve_ on Twitter, and his wife is @_misstwelve on Instagram. She wrote on Instagram that Brady and Godwin are still “figuring things out.”
