Godwin unsure if Brady will request No. 12 with Bucs
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting new uniforms in 2020, and Chris Godwin isn't sure if his will come with a new number.
The Pro Bowl wide receiver spent his first three seasons wearing No. 12, the same number Tom Brady donned for two decades with the New England Patriots. Brady, who started the "TB12" brand, signed his contract with the Buccaneers on Friday.
"My phone is blowing up over the last 24 hours on Twitter, Instagram, like phone calls, text messages," Godwin told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "People just asking me the same question. I think it will be very interesting whatever happens.
"We haven't talked about it. We talked briefly, but hadn't mentioned that at all. Obviously, if he doesn't want it or isn't making a big deal about it, I'm definitely going to keep it. But we'll see how that goes."
Such situations are not uncommon in professional sports, especially in the NFL, with each position group limited to a specific range of numbers. Players often buy their preferred number from a new teammate with cash, a gift, or a charitable donation.
"I think just out of respect for what he's done, what he's accomplished, just kind of for the career he's built for himself, you've got to kind of lean into that respect, you know?" said Godwin. "We'll see. We'll see how it goes."
Godwin also wore No. 12 while at Penn State. Brady wore No. 10 at Michigan.