There is an interesting case of sliding doors when it comes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin.
Following the 2024 season — a year in which Godwin suffered a catastrophic leg injury in Week 7 — there was a bidding war over his services in free agency.
The New England Patriots, on a spending spree for the ages, reportedly offered Godwin a contract worth upwards of $90 million, and he turned it down to stay with the Buccaneers on a 3-year, $66 million contract.
The Patriots, forced to pivot, signed wide receiver Stefon Diggs on a 3-year, $65 million contract. He delivered a 1,000-yard receiving season, and the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl.
Godwin looked like a shell of himself. He missed 8 games as he continued to recover from his injury and posted career lows of 33 receptions, 360 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
It’s why Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon put Godwin at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Most Overpaid Players” after the 2026 free agency cycle.
“Right now, that three-year, $66 million extension from the 2025 offseason is looking silly, as Godwin might be the most overpaid player in the NFL considering his $33.7 million cap hit for 2026,” Gagnon wrote. “That ranks first among all wide receivers, which is a shame because the 30-year-old has failed to play in double-digit games in back-to-back seasons, and his productivity when healthy plummeted in 2025.”
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