NFL Insider Believes Patriots Could Pursue This Game-Changing Wideout

The group of impending free-agent receivers isn’t very appealing, but there are a few exceptions.

The most notable is Tee Higgins, who has been attached to the Patriots in rumors for months now. However, the Cincinnati Bengals appear motivated to retain Higgins, who might never actually reach the NFL’s open market. The same could go for the league’s second-best wideout with an expiring contract.

“If Chris Godwin gets to free agency, don’t be surprised if the Patriots get involved,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote in a column published Sunday. “But the Bucs have made Godwin a priority, and the feeling around the league is the team will make him a Buc for life.”

Even if Godwin’s services go up for grabs, it’s unclear how aggressively the Patriots would pursue the 29-year-old. Godwin suffered a gruesome season-ending dislocated ankle last October, which marked the second time he had a campaign cut short due to a serious injury in recent years. The 2017 third-round pick tore his ACL and sprained his MCL in late December 2021.

But as Fowler noted, Godwin very well could continue his playing career in Tampa Bay. Such a move would make sense after the Buccaneers committed to their current core with recent new deals for Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans.