Baker Mayfield Discusses the Unique Value Chris Godwin Brings to Buccaneers

The Buccaneers remain very confident in their cast of wide receivers heading into 2026 despite losing Mike Evans to free agency this offseason.

Not only is there an expectation that last year's first-round draft pick, Emeka Egbuka, will continue to improve as a budding star at the position, but third-year pass-catcher Jalen McMillan is also a player the team expects to lean on heavily now that he is fully recovered from a scary neck injury that sidelined him for the majority of last season.

Rookie WR Ted Hurst is another player who has turned heads this offseason, and he very well may have earned himself a role within this offense right away because of it.

One receiver, though, seems to be flying under the radar despite his extensive list of accomplishments with the Buccaneers — none other than Chris Godwin Jr.

But just because the media and talking heads are sleeping on Godwin's potential impact this season, that doesn't mean his quarterback, Baker Mayfield, is.

On a recent episode of Green Light With Chris Long, Mayfield sat down with former Buccaneer Beau Allen to discuss a variety of topics.

Chris Godwin: The Ultimate Teammate

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (14) and running back Rachaad White (1) react after a first down against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Having once been a teammate of Godwin's, Allen wanted to know what Mayfield has seen from the steady veteran, who is hoping to rejuvenate his career after a couple slow seasons following multiple serious injuries, each of which required a long and intense rehabilitation process.

"I played with Chris," Allen said. "I think he is, he's just physical as f***. He tries hard as hell. He's like a nose guard's wide receiver, you know what I mean? And I love him. What have you kind of seen out of him in camp so far?"

Mayfield immediately expressed how happy he is to see Godwin back at full strength before praising his work ethic and physicality as a player.

"First and foremost, it's awesome to see Chris feeling good and healthy," Mayfield said. "Just the confidence he has in himself, you can see that. And just the way that he plays. The respect level I have for him is through the roof. He's a pro's pro. Everything he does is physical. He does it the right way. Just prep wise, taking care of his body, but he'll do all the dirty work for us. He's done everything, and is willing to do anything to help the team."

Mayfield then spoke about what separates Godwin from other receivers.

"Within his routes and stuff, he's never going to be the guy that's going to burn you over the top. He's not a speedy guy. But you can have guys draped all over him, he is so strong, his balance is unbelievable, strong ass hands," Mayfield said. "And just, he understands how to win on leverage and positioning when he's running routes, but yeah, it's really the dirty work in the run game that separates him from other guys."

Intelligence and Leadership Set Godwin Apart

Chris Godwin Jr. and Kam Johnso — Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Chris Godwin Jr. (14) and Kameron Johnson (19) (obscured) shake hands before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's obvious how much Mayfield respects Godwin's physical ability, but it's also his intelligence and leadership that makes him such a unique modern-day receiver.

"His recognition of coverages and what the defense is doing is next level," Mayfield said. "And sometimes that comes with time, but he also just has that innate nature within him to recognize it quickly and adapt to it, but he is always trying to help out the young guys.

"He is always trying to take things that he's gone through, experienced, what he knows, and trying to help out the young guys. And that's something that's rare for a position that a lot of the time gets stigmatized as a selfish position, but that's not what we have here, and Chris does an unbelievable job at that."

Baker Mayfield has the ultimate respect for Chris Godwin pic.twitter.com/d2yvyKnTBO
— Green Light with Chris Long (@greenlight) August 31, 2026

Although Godwin isn't necessarily the type of person who cares whether his name is in the headlines, his intelligence, play style and relentless work ethic could very well lead to a major bounce-back season for the veteran receiver.

As long as he can stay healthy, we may be hearing a lot more about Godwin when the 2026 NFL regular season kicks off, whether he likes it or not.

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