Even before he suffered a season-ending dislocated ankle in Week 7, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin was making a pretty stout case as to why he should get WR1 money in free agency in 2025.
If his recovery is on track — and by all accounts it should be — that money should mostly still be waiting for him after the season is over.
According to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, one of the teams that could target Godwin and deliver a big payday could be Tampa Bay’s NFC South Division rival with the Carolina Panthers.
“Whether Carolina sticks with Bryce Young or searches for another quarterback, it’ll need to find a new top target,” Knox wrote on November 6. “The Panthers traded Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens. Panthers head coach Dave Canales was Tampa’s offensive coordinator in 2023.”
Canales had success with Godwin — once Canales decided to play him in the correct position. Despite Godwin’s success playing in the slot for the first 6 seasons of his career, after Canales was hired to be the Buccaneers offensive coordinator in 2023, he decided to move Godwin to one of the outside receiver spots.
Godwin understandably struggled. When Canales finally came to his senses late in the season and put Godwin back in the slot, it was just in time for the Buccaneers to win 5 of their last 6 games, win the NFC South and make the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.
Godwin Could Get Big Money From Panthers
Godwin is in the final year of a 3-year, $60 million contract he signed with the Buccaneers before the 2022 season. He was leading the Buccaneers and third in the NFL with 50 receptions for 576 yards and 5 touchdowns before his injury.
Godwin was on track for his fourth consecutive season of at least 1,000 receiving yards. He had his career high of 1,333 receiving yards in 2019 — the only time he earned NFL All-Pro honors and his only Pro Bowl selection.
If Godwin makes a full recovery, his play in 2024 could have seriously increased his value as a free agent — Spotrac projects his market value in the range of a 3-year, $70.3 million contract.
Panthers Mortgaged Future to Draft Young in ’23
The Panthers are the worst team in the NFL right now and it might not even be close. Carolina went 2-15 in 2023 and are 2-7 in 2024 headed into Week 10.
More than that, they mortgaged their future to select Young at No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Through 2 seasons, Young looks like a bust.
Young was benched for Andy Dalton just 2 games into the 2024 season and got his job back after Dalton was injured in a car accident. After a win over the almost equally as downtrodden New Orleans Saints in Week 9, Young improved to 3-17 as a starter.
If the Panthers are to get better in the near future, it will likely have to be through free agency. In order to move up to get Young with the No. 1 pick in 2023, the Panthers had to give the Chicago Bears their first and second round picks in 2023, their first round pick in 2024 and their second round pick in 2025. The Bears used that 2024 first round pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall.
