Projecting former Penn State Football WR Chris Godwin’s free agent contract

Former Penn State Football wide receiver Chris Godwin, set to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, will be among the NFL’s most coveted free agents this offseason.

Godwin, chosen in the third-round of the 2017 NFL Draft, after becoming a focal point — along with running back Saquon Barkley — of Penn State Football’s 2016 Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth, is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career.

This season, Godwin caught 65 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games, while averaging 12.9 yards per reception.

Just one year removed from catching 1,333 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns, Pro Football Focus lists Godwin as the second-ranked free agent, behind only Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott:

"Godwin is an exceptionally talented and versatile receiver who has great hands – dropping just four passes in his first three seasons- and he has excelled from both an outside and slot alignment. Godwin’s projection will likely depend on what the second half of the 2020 season holds for him. If he can get back to the form he showed in 2019, he may be one of the best receiver free agents to hit the open market in years."

Despite battling through myriad injuries, including a fractured finger, this season, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady still had a 131.9 quarterback rating when targeting Godwin, which certainly underscores his value.

PFF projects Godwin could be in line for a five-year contract worth upwards of $22 million per year with potentially $65 million guaranteed.

The NFL’s potentially lower salary cap coming in at approximately $180 million in 2021 following diminished revenue during the COVID-19 impacted 2020 season could impact Godwin and every other free agent’s deal. However, look for teams such as the New York Giants, New York Jets, and the Indianapolis Colts to be among the Buccaneers’ top competition to sign Godwin once free agency begins.