The New England Patriots‘ wide receiver corps had everyone’s attention last season, but not for the best reasons. Drafting Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the 2024 NFL Draft didn’t pan out as hoped. Polk, selected 37th overall, managed only 12 receptions for 87 yards and 2 TDs before a season-ending injury. Baker, despite high expectations, struggled to find his footing, contributing minimally to the offense. The rest of the crew? Well, they collectively couldn’t even crack the 500-yard mark.

In simple terms, the current wideout corp is a kinda major red flag for the newly appointed head coach, Mike Vrabel. But looks like the head coach is set to add a veteran to the roster to bolster the team’s wide receiver room. According to Mike Giardi, writer at the Boston Sports Journal, the Patriots can sign Chris Godwin if he hits the free agency next week.

On Friday, Giardi hit up his official ‘X’ handle and stated, “Chris Godwin will be incredibly sought after, assuming he gets to free agency. Patriots (are) expected to be the driver there.” Well, a lot of teams will have their eyes set on Godwin if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decide to part ways with him in 2025. And according to Giardi, the Patriots are the driver in Godwin’s sweepstakes. The reason?

For starters, the New England team is in a dire need of the No. 1 receiver for their second-year quarterback, Drake Maye. Plus, the 29-year-old veteran WR is coming with an impressive resume under his name. The wideout has been for eight seasons with the Bucs and averaged nearly 1,033 yards and fell just shy of 5 TD per season in his eight seasons with the team. But there’s a kicker.

Well, Giardi believes that if the Patriots sign Godwin, the WR will cost them a pretty penny. “It’s gonna cost more money than you would have thought (think in excess of $25 million per year) despite the season-ending injury,” he wrote on Friday. C’mon! Money wouldn’t be an issue for the Patriots, considering Mike Vrabel and Co. has more money than any other team in 2025.

The New England team sits at the top with nearly $130 million in salary cap space. Sure, Godwin’s injury can come into play, but if the Patriots choose to sign him in free agency, no wonder the guy’s going to stack over $25 million per season—unless any other team snags him first.

Will Chris Godwin join Mike Vrabel’s Patriots?

Chris Godwin is coming after suffering a gruesome dislocated ankle in the last season while playing against the Baltimore Ravens in week 7. The guy has played every 8 seasons of his career with the Bucs. That said, the Patriots might have to go toe-to-toe with the Bucs if they want to sign Godwin in the free agency. Because let’s be real—the Tampa Bay team already has Baker Mayfield on the center, Mike Evans on the outside, and Bucky Irving in the backfield.

That means if the Tampa Bay re-sign the 28-year-old WR, it’s certain that their side would have one of the best offenses in 2025. However, the team might have to face a tough competition from the Los Angeles Chargers. You see, the Chargers reached the playoffs in the last season, there’s no denying that. However, the QB, Justin Herbert, had Ladd McConkey as the only reliable target on their receiving corp.

Long story short: no team is in a desperate need of a potential WR than the Chargers. The kicker? Well, the Los Angeles team has a hefty salary cap space with over $66 million. That said, Jim Harbaugh and Co. can surely afford to sign Godwin. BUT! There’s another team lurking in the shadows and looking to make a last-minute move—the Houston Texans.

The Texans have a messy WR situation in this offseason. First off, Tank Dell suffered a gruesome knee injury in the week 16 game against the Chiefs. Plus, he’s set to miss out on the whole 2025 season. On top of that, Stefon Diggs is coming off a torn ACL and may not be ready to play before the week 1 game of the 2025 regular season. A completely diabolical situation.

That said, the Texans’ general manager, Nick Caserio, probably wants to spend a pretty chunk of money in the offseason. After all, the Texans surely want to add a key weapon for C.J. Stroud in 2025. All in all, the Patriots aren’t the only team that has their eyes set on Chris Godwin. If Mike Vrabel wants to land him, he better be ready for a battle—because other teams are circling too.