The Pittsburgh Steelers just picked up a big-time win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they are reeling at wide receiver, with three of their top five guys down. Now, rumors are swirling that the Steelers could find help from the team they just beat.

A recent CBS Sports post suggested that a trade for Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin to Pittsburgh is gaining momentum. I hate to rain on anybody’s parade, but I don’t like this one bit.

What a Chris Godwin trade would cost the Steelers

To show why, I ran the move through the new A to Z Sports NFL trade simulator. On paper, the price looks like a steal:

 Steelers receive: WR Chris Godwin; Buccaneers receive: 2027 fifth-round pick

You might be wondering how a deal that sends so little draft capital to Tampa Bay could possibly favor the Buccaneers. In my opinion, it does, and it isn’t particularly close.

For one, Godwin is 30 years old. He has two years left on a big contract and is coming off multiple injuries. According to the trade simulator, adding him would put the Steelers almost $15 million in the red in 2026 cap space.

That is a lot of baggage to absorb for a fifth-round pick. The draft capital is the cheap part of this deal. The contract, the age, and the medical history are where Pittsburgh would really pay.

Here’s my main issue with the Godwin idea

I know the counterargument. Pittsburgh can restructure deals, and it can work out the cap math with contracts like T.J. Watt’s and those of other players. That’s fair, and the front office has moved money around before.

Even so, restructuring to make room for this specific player is a tough sell. You are talking about a wide receiver over 30 who has dealt with lower body injuries. He carries a hefty contract, and his first year in Pittsburgh would essentially amount to half a season.

That isn’t the type of player you push money into future years to accommodate. If the Steelers are going to restructure contracts to add a receiver, the return needs to justify the long-term cap hit. Godwin, at this stage of his career, doesn’t check that box.

The Steelers have better wide receiver options to explore

We have been pushing other names for Pittsburgh at wide receiver for a while now. Brian Thomas Jr. is one of them. Quentin Johnston is another. There are also a few names out there that haven’t surfaced publicly yet.

Those options make far more sense for a roster that needs help now and later. A younger receiver, or one without a long injury history, gives the Steelers something to build around instead of a short-term patch with a hefty price tag.

The injuries at the position are real, and I understand the urge to make a splash after a big win. Pittsburgh needs bodies at wide receiver, and fans are rightfully frustrated watching the room thin out week after week.

However, panic moves rarely age well. The Steelers have spent years being careful with how they allocate cap space, and this would be an odd time to abandon that approach for a 30-year-old coming off major injuries.

Would the Buccaneers actually make this move?

“Trading Chris Godwin Jr. is certainly a move the Buccaneers could make if they wanted to. They’d free up close to $15 million in cash and cap space and the 2027 dead money wouldn’t change due to Godwin Jr.’s contract construction.

The key aspect with trading Godwin Jr., however, is it would make one of the NFL’s worst offenses even worse. The Buccaneers are already without Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka hasn’t been anywhere close to the rookie sensation we saw through the first half of the 2025 season.

Godwin Jr.’s potential departure would leave a massive hole at the slot position and would put more on Egbuka’s plate, which is something the Buccaneers have been adamant about avoiding in Year 2. There’s also Ted Hurst who has flashed, but is a third-round rookie himself and it would be unfair to ask him to come in and try to “save the day”, so to speak.

Over-the-top trade compensation in the form of draft picks and/or players is the only way this move happens. Based on Godwin Jr.’s age, injury history, and lack of 2026 production, I don’t see any team offering the Buccaneers anything worthy of considering and that’s totally reasonable.

Therefore, I think trading Chris Godwin Jr. is a move the Buccaneers ultimately wouldn’t make.” Evan Winter, A to Z Sports Tampa Bay