Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has developed an exceptional track record over the years. Not only has Licht managed to excel in the NFL Draft when it comes to finding talent, depth and value with whatever capital he has at his disposal, but just as importantly, he’s managed to re-sign all of his best players when they eventually hit free agency.
Licht’s resume when it comes to retaining big-name free agents is practically spotless, which is an extremely rare feat in the modern era of professional sports.
A recent example of this was when Licht came to terms with star receiver Chris Godwin, who he drafted in the third round of the NFL draft out of Penn State back in 2017. Widely considered to be the best wide receiver on the market this offseason, Godwin had a number of other teams vying for his services.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
But when push came to shove, Godwin was willing to leave money on the table to return to Tampa Bay on a below-market 3-year $66 million contract, an incredible gesture of loyalty to Jason Licht and the franchise that drafted him just about eight years ago.
In an interview with Tom Krasniqi of 95.3 WDAE on Thursday afternoon, the Bucs’ charismatic GM provided some great insight on a variety of Bucs related topics, with Chris Godwin being chief among them.
When asked if he thought Godwin might be leaving at any point leading up to free agency, Licht offered a very candid response.
“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 was also asked specifically about the other teams that were making a push to sign Godwin.
“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.”
Based on a variety of reports that came out following Godwin’s agreement with the Bucs, it’s pretty safe to assume the team that was willing to write ‘a blank check’ for his services was the New England Patriots.
Throughout the course of the interview, Licht was effusive in his praise and forthcoming with his gratitude as it relates to Chris Godwin leaving money on the table to return to Tampa Bay. “I said at the press conference that we get a lot of kudos for being loyal to our players, but in this case, [Chris] was loyal to us, and I’ll forever be grateful for the decision that he and Mariah made.Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin greets the fans after they beat the Washington Commanders. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Before wrapping up the discussion, Licht was asked about Godwin’s recovery timeline coming off the gruesome ankle injury that ended his season early last year, and he response was one that did not lack confidence.
“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.”
Although it had been widely reported that Chris Godwin received a monster offer from another team in free agency, it’s hard to know just how close he was to actually leaving. But when you hear Jason’s Licht admit he thought Chris was gone, that confirms just how stiff the competition was for his services.
Thankfully for Jason Licht, the Buccaneers and their fans, to Chris Godwin, loyalty is more valuable than a blank check.
