Bucs WR Chris Godwin is off to arguably his best start

TAMPA, Fla. – Chris Godwin is enjoying arguably the best start to a season ever with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his eighth year. But for the Pro Bowl wide receiver, the present is all that matters.

He could allow his mind to wander – and he sometimes does in the quiet moments outside of football – but then it would rob him of today, and he needs today.

He recorded three touchdowns in the first three games of the season – already surpassing last year's total touchdowns (two) from the regular season and postseason combined – and is tied for third-most in the NFL (teammate Mike Evans has also three). His 27 catches in the first four games are tied for third-most with Amon-Ra St. Brown.

And yet, privately, he is dealing with the greatest loss he has ever experienced – his father, Rod Christopher Godwin Sr., dying of cancer shortly after the Bucs' season ended in the divisional round of the playoffs.

For Chris Godwin, he was his hero, teaching him about Frank Sinatra and screaming, “Half man, half monster, the Manster!” at all his games.

“It's been a journey to say the least,” Godwin told ESPN, speaking publicly for the first time about his father's death. “Like it was very, very hard in the beginning. And then it was very strange when the season started and I really had to process the fact that he wasn't there, whether it was before the game or just after, being able to talk to him.”

For Godwin, that meant splitting up to move forward. The intricacies of football and particularly his position – once he returns to the slot – help.

“I focus on so many things, I can't just focus on the grief I have, and that's what you learn as a football player in general – a next-play mentality,” Godwin said. “You can’t just focus on a bad play in the past or a good play in the past, but you have to focus on this.”

Next up is an NFC South showdown between Godwin and the Bucs (3-1) when the Bucs (3-1) play the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) on the road on Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video). compete.

His improbable third-and-10 catch with 1:16 left last year against the Falcons was pivotal to the Bucs' season. He zigzagged his way down the field, past two defenders, before a third finally brought him down at the Atlanta 15-yard line, giving him a 32-yard gain, and Cade Otton's 11-yard touchdown that secured the 29-25 win in Week 14.

Additionally, the Falcons surrendered 34 catches to slot receivers – the fourth-most in the league – and 17 first downs, the sixth-most.

“You have to be ready when the moment comes,” cornerback Zyon McCollum said. “And Chris is always ready.”

GODWIN'S GAME IN Atlanta was the key player, but before that game, that moment, he spent the week answering questions about his (lack of) performance after failing to catch a catch the week before against the Carolina Panthers.

“It kind of catapulted us into the big run that we had and gave us the confidence that we needed to take control of the division and get into the playoffs,” McCollum said. “Seeing Chris do that – I mean, he always shows up in big moments – it means a little more and it's a little more special.”

This play was made out of the slot — where Godwin feels most comfortable and impactful, having played there from 2019-2022, and where he returned full-time this year under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen. There he is able to open up quickly and use his physicality when navigating traffic. He likes that it allows him to be more creative and utilize his versatility.

Godwin has been a third-down machine this season, accounting for half of the Bucs' third-down catches with 10 – the fourth-most in the NFL – and he leads all receivers with 188 yards after the catch.

“I don't think I thought he was as sudden as he was in some of the little subtleties of route running, his ability to push people together at times and create separation,” Coen said. “I don't know if many people would say he's an ultra-fast guy, but in his role and in tight spaces, he knows how to open up. He knows how to create space, he knows how to attack leverage.”

He saw Godwin break out on a sailing route down the right sideline on the first day of training camp, leading Evans to proclaim, “He looks like the Chris Godwin of 2019” — where he set career-highs in yards (1,333). touchdowns (nine) and first downs (63).

And then he hit screen after screen in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders.

“I've never seen a guy basically catch the ball at the line of scrimmage and penetrate the defense so people aren't really able to attack him,” Coen said. “He's stronger than you think. … He's produced a lot for us on a few screens so far. … He’s just playing at a high level right now.”

In the Bucs' Week 2 win at the Detroit Lions, Godwin accounted for 117 of Baker Mayfield's 189 passing yards and the only touchdown. He was Mayfield's safety valve and the improved chemistry was particularly noticeable when Mayfield was under pressure, especially without right tackle Luke Goedeke, who missed three games with a concussion.

“They talk about scramble drills, but when you have a smart football player like Chris, it becomes second nature,” Mayfield said. “If I extend a play, he'll see where I'm going, he'll make a guy miss and work with me toward the sideline I'm going for. Chris is an incredible player, and we're very lucky to have him. He makes these pieces work.

THIS SEASON IS That's very important for Godwin, considering it's a contract year for him – and they'll likely have to maneuver money to keep him after signing Mayfield, Evans, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tristan Wirfs in the offseason committed again.

He felt like he played well the last two years, but he said, “I noticed something was missing a little bit.”

He credits strengthening his quadriceps and glutes for knee support and has been training with the intention of improving explosion and yards after the catch, but he also admitted, “It's just about time.”

“Each of the last two seasons has felt different than the last,” Godwin said. “The further you get away from it, the better off you end up being.”

If only grief worked like that. But that's not the case, and he had to deal with it.

“You feel like there’s no room nearby,” Godwin said. “But as life progresses, grief doesn’t just go away. The space becomes larger and life expands, but she is still there. It never goes away – you just figure out how to live life around it.” .

“There is a time for me to grieve and a time for me to be in this present moment. And then when I'm on the field, it's like I have a job to do because my job is on the line. There are a lot of people whose jobs depend on me and my teammates doing our jobs.

Coaches, teammates and front office members note Godwin's approach and believe his consistency and reliability set him apart.

“He’s the same every day,” McCollum said. “Whether he talks to the media, whether he talks to teammates, whether he talks to family, you’re going to get the same Chris. The same thing on the field every day. He has the same routine regarding his business. If you do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over again, the greatness just somehow finds you.

General manager Jason Licht called him “Mr. Consistency” and a “phenomenal person, phenomenal player (and) a great role model for our entire team,” while coach Todd Bowles said he “meant everything to this franchise.”

The moments of joy that Godwin is experiencing are appreciated and savored as they come, whether it's a celebratory chest bump with Evans in the end zone or munching on one of his wife Mariah's postgame treats, like coffee cake. He could also find himself cuddling with their rescue dogs Ghost and Ziggy or traveling to faraway countries like Italy and Switzerland where he can pursue one of his favorite hobbies: photography.

And then he exhales and takes in whatever comes next.

“Of course life will go on,” Godwin said. “Every day the sun rises, the sun sets. So if you just stay where you are, you end up missing out on your life and not being able to grow from it. You could use these things to either help someone else or to help yourself later. Because we all experience loss.”