It seemed like a potential predicament: Tom Brady wore No. 12 with the New England Patriots, but a player on his new team already had that number: Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin.
Godwin didn’t just fall into No. 12, either. He’s worn the number since high school, per ESPN, and both he and his fianceé have the number in their Twitter and Instagram profiles, respectively.
Tom Brady given Jersey Number 12
But Godwin agreed to switch to No. 14 so Brady could keep No. 12 with the Bucs, and made the move for free: The wide receiver told the team website he gave up No. 12 out of respect for the six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and that there was no transaction involved.
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In fact, Godwin celebrated the change Tuesday with some photo editing magic on Instagram.
So, it was the least Brady could do to show his new wideout love in the comment section.
“Much Appreciated – Very Grateful – Humbled / And ready to get to work!!!” Brady wrote on Godwin’s post, adding a pair of “100” emojis.
Fellow Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans also chimed in by commenting, “Already Gs.”
Godwin and Brady getting along
Even if Godwin wanted to keep No. 12, it’s a smart move by the 24-year-old to get the jersey number back to Tom Brady to stay in his good graces.
Brady also can “repay” Godwin by feeding him frequently in 2020: The Pro Bowl wideout finished third in the NFL in receiving yards in 2019 and along with Evans should form a lethal duo for his new quarterback.
This article was first published by NBC Sports.
