Chris Godwin elected to leave money on the table to re-sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The choice was more about family and being comfortable than chasing dinero.
"I mean, to be honest, I feel like we were really close (to leaving)," Godwin told Sara Walsh and Mike Garafolo on Tuesday on NFL Network's The Insiders. "When it comes to a situation like that, you have to really, really consider it. Me and (his wife) Mariah, we had some really tough conversations. Had some really tough conversations with my agent. Because at the end of the day, you're trying to figure out what's going to be best for our family. Not everybody would make that decision, and I'm not faulting anybody that would.
"But at the end of the day, like I was mentioning in the presser, I have to go based off my gut, I have to go based off my intuition and what I think is going to be best for us in the long run. Being here, where we call home, where we feel the most comfortable, where we can raise our newborn son, I think all those things are big factors for us in making this decision."
Godwin inked a three-year, $66 million contract to remain in Tampa alongside Mike Evans and rising youngster Jalen McMillan.
Despite Godwin coming off a season-ending knee injury, his market was still hot. He could have reportedly made $20 million more if he left the Bucs. Instead, Godwin, with a 2 ½-month-old son, elected to keep his family in Tampa.
General manager Jason Licht, who has done a miraculous job keeping the core pieces in place in Tampa, said it's on the franchise to continually earn that trust.
"People always give us credit for betting on Chris during his injuries," Licht said, via the Tampa Bay Times. "But he and Mariah bet on us and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that we make it right for you and chase another ring. ...
"You're supposed to stand here before fans and say I don't get stressed and I have ice in my veins. But I don't. It's an emotional time. So it took everything out of me not to be texting Chris and be like you're texting your girlfriend. My wife had to say, 'Don't push him.' So when it got over with, it was an awesome moment."
Keeping Godwin on a team-friendly deal will allow Licht to spend elsewhere as the Bucs chase a fifth-straight NFC South division title.