The Atlanta Falcons already have their share of problems this offseason. While Michael Penix Jr. is slated to be the starting quarterback next year, they have to figure out what to do with Kirk Cousins before his roster bonus is due on March 17. The Falcons also have to figure out what they want to do to upgrade a pass rush that ranked 31st in the NFL with 31 sacks and had the eighth-lowest pressure rate at 20% last season.
Mix in a cap situation that currently has Atlanta $11.9 million over the salary cap and there are a lot of things to worry about. But the return of a NFC South villain probably wasn’t high on their list until a new development surfaced on Wednesday morning.
Chris Godwins’s Contract Move Makes Return to Buccaneers Likely
Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and wide receiver Chris Godwin have agreed to move back the void date on his contract. The contract was set to void earlier this week, which would have triggered $18 million in dead money against Tampa Bay’s cap in 2025 but the date has been pushed back to March 12, the final day of the league year.
Chris Godwin’s current contract was due to void, triggering $18 million in dead money against the Bucs’ 2025 cap, but the two sides agreed to move that void date to the final day of the league year (March 12). Buys them time to work out a new deal and keep some 2025 cap savings.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) February 19, 2025
Moves like this are happening across the league as teams look to avoid hefty salary cap hits. While it helps everyone in the short term, it also buys more time to negotiate a contract as the Buccaneers would have just eaten the cap hit if they decided to move on.
This isn’t great news for the Falcons, who have been tormented by Godwin during his career. The 28-year-old has a Pro Bowl season’s worth of stats in 14 career meetings with Atlanta, catching 77 passes for 1062 yards and nine touchdowns.
Godwin was also on pace for a career season in 2024, catching 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury last October.
The injury may be complicating negotiations on Godwin’s return to Tampa Bay but Wednesday’s contract news increases the odds he’ll sign a new deal. With the Falcons needing help on defense, it’s not a great development in what will be an important offseason in Atlanta.