Should the Bears go after veteran receiver Chris Godwin? |
There is something to be said for consistency. The Chicago Bears have consistently struggled to find an elite wide receiver. However, DJ Moore is arguably the closest to this since Alshon Jeffrey was with the Bears from 2012 to 2016. While the Bears have other needs, such as an offensive line, this wide receiver market is impossible to disregard.
One cannot ignore the possibility that Pro Bowl receiver Chris Godwin could become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in March. Except this season, as he missed a lot of time with injury, Godwin has put up at least 840 receiving yards since 2018. He has four 1,000-yard seasons, including three years in a row from 2021 to 2023, and he was on track to do so again before his season-ending broken ankle in October. In other words, Godwin is the definition of consistency. While some games are better than others, such as his 125-yard and two-touchdown performance in mid-October this year, Godwin always has a good season, no matter who the quarterback is. He is a veteran leader who also knows what it is like to win a Super Bowl. Godwin also serves as a security blanket in how receiver Keenan Allen was supposed to for quarterback Caleb Williams this year. Godwin has never recorded a catch percentage under 60 percent in his eight years in the league. In fact, in the past six seasons, he has a catch percentage of over 70 percent in five seasons. He finds the end zone every year and had five touchdowns in 2024 through seven games. Certainly, he is a player the Bears could use to help open things up for DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Godwin's biggest challenge is cost, like any big-name receiver available this year. On his three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he made an average of $20 million per year. However, the wide receiver market has changed since Godwin received that contract. Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings received a four-year deal for $35 million yearly. Therefore, Godwin is owed a raise. According to Spotrac, he is worth about $22.5 million per year. Considering Jefferson’s deal, the figure from Spotrac should probably be adjusted closer to $25 million. Chicago’s cap space is currently just under $70 million, meaning Godwin would take a large chunk of the salary cap. However, that can be negotiated to allow for a smaller cap hit in the first year or two of his potential contract. The other consideration with Godwin is his age. He is about to turn 29 years old, four years younger than Keenan Allen, so the Bears probably would not be too concerned with this. However, it is worth noting that other younger receivers are available. Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins is 26 years old. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown with the Kansas City Chiefs is 27 years old, and Darius Slayton, projected to make over $8 million, just turned 28. Thus, Chicago has younger options if they want to get a receiver. With Brown and Slayton, they would also be less expensive and more cap-friendly to sign. Nonetheless, none of those things can diminish Godwin’s consistency. Chicago could use a player with his talent in the wide receiver room; he is undoubtedly someone Odunze can learn a lot from. However, if the Bears choose to sign Godwin, they must be smart about how his contract influences the salary cap.
