It turns out that Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ wideout Chris Godwin wasn’t entirely on board with giving up his No.12 jersey to new quarterback Tom Brady. In a recent appearance on The Checkdown, Godwin admitted that the change “bothered him a little bit.”
Brady wore No.12 through his entire NFL career and has built his most of his off-the-field brand around it. So, when the 42-year-old quarterback arrived in Tampa Bay, it was expected that he’d want to keep the same number.
However, the issue was that Godwin, who is Bucs’ primary wide receiver, also had a strong bond with No.12. He wore it in high school, college, and NFL, while also making it part of his social media image.
In the end, Godwin agreed to defer to Brady, but it appears that it wasn’t an easy decision.
“I’ve been (wearing No. 12) since high school, and it means a lot to me,” said Godwin. “At first it bothered me a little bit; it was kind of getting at me because it’s part of my identity. But when the GOAT comes calling you kind of concede to him.”
Godwin ended up taking the No.14 jersey and is now hoping that getting on Brady’s good side will result in some Super Bowl wins.
“Hopefully I can get a ring or two or three out of that,” he added. “I was more than happy to do it. I have a new persona for me, 1-4. We’re going to move forward and make something special with it.”
Chris Godwin, who was the Bucs’ third-round pick in 2017, is coming off a productive season in which he had 86 receptions for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns. Godwin made his first Pro Bowl in 2019 while also making the Second-team All-Pro.
