Hitting the NFL market as a free agent can be a dream come true. Consider the staggering numbers making headlines this week as NFL teams, operating with another record salary cap, committed more than a billion dollars on new contracts to christen the market that officially opens on Wednesday.
Who could blame an NFL player for matching up with the highest bidder?
The NFL, we know, also means Not For Long. And with the ever-present reality in a brutal sport that the next play can be the last one, it’s no wonder that over the years players have gone on strike, gone to court and sometimes even gone stark-mad over the right to hit the market as a free agent.
In other words, it’s time to get paid.
It’s against that backdrop that Chris Godwin, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star receiver, reminds us that, well, money is not everything when hitting the NFL market.
Godwin, 29, became a free agent this week for the first time in his eight-year pro career – able to field offers when the negotiating window opened on Monday – and in the end decided that he won’t be going anywhere.
Yet staying put with a three-year, $66 million contract is only part of the deal. As arguably the most coveted wide receiver on the market, Godwin left a lot of money on the table in order to return to the Bucs.
Reportedly, the New England Patriots – who have the most salary cap room in the league – offered Godwin a deal worth $20 million more than Tampa Bay’s contract.
Talk about going against the grain. For Godwin, it was never about chasing the bag.
“I think for me, really, it is trying to be true to myself,” Godwin told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday. “Trying to be true to who I’ve been my entire life. I’ve never been someone who has made decisions solely based off of money. I can’t do that right now. It wouldn’t feel right, it wouldn’t sit well with me. Also, it’s more than just me that I’m thinking about.
“While it was a very tough decision – these are life-changing numbers that we’re talking about – at the end of the day I had to lean on my gut and my intuition to guide me because that’s what I’ve always done to ultimately make the right decision for me and my family. There’s more to it than just the money.”
It’s also about options. The Bucs contract included $44 million guaranteed, which was significant for a player coming off his second significant injury (a dislocated ankle) in four years. From the team’s perspective, that guarantee reflected the confidence that Godwin will return (again) to pre-injury form.
When Bucs GM Jason Licht praised Godwin, a class act, for all he’s done to develop the culture, he wasn’t blowing smoke. That’s why Licht was also so nervous a few days ago – to the point of resisting urges to repeatedly text-message the receiver – when pondering the prospect of losing Godwin.
After all, if Godwin wanted to bolt, at least free agency finally afforded him the choice of picking Door No. 2 or Door No. 3. Surely, there are many players across the NFL who wouldn’t blink for the chance to bolt to a fresh start with a bigger payday. Imagine the guy who has labored for years on a losing team, or the backup seeking a starting job, or the player eager to join his hometown team. There are many factors, unique to individuals.
In Godwin’s case, there’s stability. In multiple ways. Chris and his wife, Mariah, parents to an infant son, Ace, have been together since they were juniors at Middletown (Delaware) High School.
“We’ve known each other longer than we have not,” he said. “We were literally kids together. Now we are adults with a kid together. It’s a beautiful thing.”
And no, Mariah didn’t have any pushback about not taking the highest offer.
“She is very similarly-minded to me,” Godwin said. “When she met me, I didn’t have much of anything. Clearly, that’s not the reason she was with me. When it came down to a decision like this, she’s not like, ‘Oh, you need to do this because it’s more money for us.’ We hardly spend money on anything, anyway. What are we going to do?
“For us, it’s better to be in a situation that we enjoy, to be around people and friends we enjoy. Our quality of life is paramount.”
And so is the quality of Godwin’s work environment. The Bucs, who won Super Bowl 55 during Tom Brady’s stint, have claimed the last four NFC South titles. And with Godwin and Mike Evans forming arguably the NFL’s most lethal wide receiver tandem to support Baker Mayfield – they rank fifth all-time for receiving yards and sixth for TDs by a wideout duo – the Bucs probably will continue to field a prolific offense despite having a new coordinator for the third year in a row.
Still, Godwin is in the ideal comfort zone. He expressed much love for teammates, coaches, the athletic trainers working his rehab, the support staff in the building. All key factors for wanting to stay put.
As Godwin put it, “It’s a full system. Everything about it, is what’s good for me here.”
Which brings a certain peace. Godwin admits that for all that he’s experienced in his NFL career, he wasn’t exactly looking forward to hitting the free agent market.
“It was just uncertain for me,” he said. “And uncertainty, you know, can be a bit uneasy. I was just trying to take it in stride, hoping that I didn’t have to make a decision to leave.”
Mission accomplished. With his own flow.
Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell