The market just heated up for the new No. 1 free-agent wide receiver.
Now that the Bengals are officially placing the franchise tag on wideout Tee Higgins, he won’t end up with another team unless he’s traded. Cincinnati reportedly intends to hammer out a long-term deal with Higgins. That leaves Chris Godwin as the clear No. 1 option on the open market at the wide receiver position.
As described by Ian Rapoport on Monday: “Godwin is now less than two weeks away from being free and is in high demand.” Prior reports suggested that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also intended to sign Godwin to a long-term deal, but now, the reporting suggests that he will at least explore free agency before deciding on his next contract.
Not long after the Higgins news, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported that the Patriots “are set to be aggressive – especially” at wide receiver. MassLive’s Mark Daniels, meanwhile, reports that the Pats would “have interest in Godwin if he hits the open market, if his medicals check out.”
About those medicals … Godwin dislocated his ankle in 2024, which ended his season after just seven games. He was on a career-best pace, with 50 catches, 576 yards, and five touchdowns – over 17 games, that projects to 121 catches, 1,399 yards, and 12 scores. And he’s no one-year wonder, either; Godwin has posted a 17-game average of 105 catches, 1,269 yards, and seven touchdowns over the past six seasons.
It’s worth noting that Godwin played with Tom Brady for some of that time. Drake Maye is certainly no Brady, but he’s highly regarded around the league and has the physical talent to be an elite quarterback. Godwin would be a fit for both Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with his sharp route-running and ability to line up both inside and outside.
So, if Godwin does in fact hit the legal tampering period next Monday, the Patriots will almost certainly make their pitch – if they haven’t back-channeled it already. The question is whether the Pats would be willing to be the highest bidder for Godwin’s services. That will be the real test for them, as they sit with the most cap space in the league at $127.7 million and a clear need at wide receiver.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.