Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has been praised this offseason for his work in free agency.

Not just the signing of outside players, but maybe even more so for the signing of wideout Chris Godwin.

Godwin has been an integral piece of the Bucs offense since Licht drafted him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s played Robin to Mike Evans’ Batman for eight years and was entering free agency this offseason.

Godwin has been good to the Bucs, and Licht and the Buccaneers have reciprocated. It’s been a mutually beneficial relationship.

Last time Godwin hit free agency, he was coming off a serious knee injury, and the Bucs signed him to a three-year, $60 million deal. This time around, Godwin was coming off a dislocated ankle in Week 10 that ended his season early.

Licht and the Bucs didn’t hesitate to offer Godwin a fair deal, regardless of the injury.

Licht told WDAE that he was truly concerned about being able to keep Godwin, and he thought he would leave in free agency..

“I did, to be honest with you, I did. And it’s not a good feeling. You know, it’s a stop short of throwing up in my trash can in my office.” Licht continued, “He left a lot of money on the table. He valued the culture here. The city. The fans. Being able to hopefully retire as a Buccaneer, I think there’s some value in that.”

Licht also confirmed that other teams were making a hard push to sign the eight-year veteran wideout.

“Well, there were several teams that inquired, but then there was one that just kept writing a blank check. We got to a point of what we could do to keep everything together and add some pieces here and he took it. Like I said, just a man of character, and just like Lavonte and Mike Evans, I pinch myself, we’re so fortunate to have him. These guys are the driving forces for why we have such an incredible locker room.”

Licht was also asked about Godwin’s recovery and timeline to return.

“I’m feeling very good about it.” Licht said. “He’s hitting all of his milestones. He’s hitting all of his markers. He’s where he’s supposed to be. I would never bet against Chris. Never bet against him. He’s an incredibly tough-willed person that loves the game.”