After the Buccaneers picked Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka with the 19th choice in the 2025 draft, some people thought that the team was worried about whether veteran receiver Chris Godwin would be ready for the season.
If they had such worries, those fears didn’t show up in the three-year, $66 million contract that Godwin signed with the Buccaneers in March.
PFT has looked over the contract. There’s no mention of any injury. For instance, there are no conditions making any of the $20.745 million roster bonus for 2025 dependent on passing a physical exam.
The second part of this bonus is due in just six days. There’s also nothing that makes an exception for worsening injuries or related issues.
It’s possible that the Buccaneers felt they had to sign Godwin because he had a better financial offer from the Patriots. While the Patriots did end up signing receiver Stefon Diggs to a deal that included protections against his torn ACL, Diggs didn’t have many other options. Godwin might have used interest from both teams to negotiate a deal without protections related to an existing injury.
Regardless, this contract serves as strong evidence against the idea that the Bucs drafted Egbuka out of concern for Godwin’s health. If they were truly worried enough to spend a first-round pick on someone to replace him temporarily, why would they have guaranteed $44 million to Godwin?
So, why choose Egbuka? Mike Evans is starting his 12th season and will turn 32 in August. They need to prepare a replacement for him eventually.
Also, the Bucs don’t have many urgent needs on their roster. When it was their turn to pick, they could select the best player available. And that’s exactly what they did.
