The Tampa Bay Buccaneers boast one of the NFL’s top wide receiver duos in veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but only Godwin remains under contract beyond 2024.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz emphasized the importance of extending Godwin’s contract before training camp begins in July. “Godwin’s contract voids after the 2024 season, but let’s not overthink this,” Schatz wrote. “He’s an above-average NFL starting wide receiver and someone Tampa Bay wants to keep around. An extension might also help spread out the cap hit for Godwin over the three void years where the Bucs would be carrying dead money under the current contract.”
Godwin signed a 3-year, $60 million extension in March 2022, with $20 million due in 2024. Evans secured a 2-year, $52 million contract in March 2024.
### Godwin: A Model of Consistency
Drafted in the third round out of Penn State in 2017, Godwin has consistently delivered since joining the Buccaneers. After starting only seven games in his first two seasons, he broke out in 2019 with career highs of 1,333 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
In 2020, despite missing four games due to injuries, Godwin recorded 65 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games, and contributed significantly to the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl run with 16 receptions for 232 yards and a touchdown over four games.
Entering 2024, Godwin is on a streak of three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, including a career-high 104 receptions in 2022. Despite this impressive production, Evans has been even more prolific, setting an NFL record with his 10th consecutive season of at least 1,000 receiving yards in 2023.
### Unexpected Depth at Receiver
Godwin’s productivity peaked in 2023 after moving back to the slot position late in the season, amassing over 75 receiving yards in three of the Buccaneers’ last four games, including a season-high 10 receptions for 155 yards against the Green Bay Packers.
In 2024, the Buccaneers added depth at wide receiver by drafting Washington’s Jalen McMillan in the third round (No. 92 overall), who excels in the slot and is expected to back up Godwin. Evans and Trey Palmer will start on the outside.
The team also signed free agent Sterling Shepard in June 2024, who played with Buccaneers’ quarterback Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma. Shepard, who can play both inside and outside, brings additional versatility and experience to the receiving corps. “I look at myself as a true inside receiver, but I have a lot of experience outside, so I am a guy that you can bounce around and help Mike and Chris out,” Shepard told Buccaneers.com after signing.
