Which Bucs Player Would Best Lead The U.S. Across The Delaware River?

In a Thursday column on PewterReport.com, two Pewter Reporters will debate a Bucs topic with different viewpoints. Which Pewter Reporter wins the debate? You get to decide in the comments section below.

This Week’s Topic: Which Bucs Player Would Best Lead The U.S. Across The Delaware River?

With the United States of America celebrating it’s 250th birthday on the 4th of July this weekend, Pewter Report thought it would be an interesting idea to go outside the box and talk about Bucs players in a historical context from our country’s founding prior to Independence Day.

Point: God(win) Bless America

By: Matt Matera

Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. is a perfect player to pick when it comes to the best Buccaneer to lead his team across the Delaware River and surprise the opponent. When America’s first president, George Washington, took his troops by boat at night across the Delaware River, it was a surprise to the British Army – or in other words – under the radar. Performing in big moments while flying under the radar? That sounds like the Chris Godwin Jr. we know and love.

Godwin has been under the radar for a majority of his career. A third-round pick out of Penn State, Godwin wasn’t exactly the real deal right away. He didn’t score a touchdown until the last game of his rookie season. It really took two more seasons to really pop off and become the sensation that he’s been. He snuck up on opponents, leading the Bucs team in receiving during the 2019 and 2021 season.

Even at his best, Godwin has never been the guy on this team, continuously being the second guy behind Mike Evans. It was Evans always being the player with the fan fare and attention. Godwin wasn’t in the spotlight as much, and he was fine with it. Godwin wasn’t necessarily in the shadows as he was very important to Tampa Bay’s success, but the less attention was used to his advantage the same way the British weren’t focusing on the U.S.A. at the Delaware.

Of course we can’t do this exercise without some comparison to George Washington. Any Washington biography will portray our country’s first president as more of a stoic person focused on doing what’s right. He was a great leader, but not necessarily a rah-rah type of guy. He just went about his business and did what was right. There’s certainly similarities to Godwin in that regard. Godwin has always been team-first, even taking less money on his latest contract to remain in Tampa Bay when he could’ve gotten more elsewhere in free agency.

He may not be exactly stoic, but Godwin is a bit more soft spoken than others on the team. And, he’s always inspiring other younger receivers around him. Let’s not forget that he gave up his very valued number 12 jersey in order for Tom Brady to come to Tampa, moving to his current number 14 uniform. Godwin just wants to win. That’s it.

The thrill of Washington and his army winning the Revolutionary War to help this country become the United States of America was that the American colonists were outnumbered, but they stared in the face of adversity, never wavered and showed bravery in finally prevailing. When I think of America, I think of resilience. When I look at Godwin’s career with the Bucs I also see a story of resilience and bravery.

Godwin has been involved in two gruesome, season-ending injuries in his career. He tore his ACL during the 2021 season when he was having his best season yet. Then in 2024, Godwin suffered a horrific ankle injury that kept him out after the first seven games of the year when was also producing at a high rate. Each time he worked harder than ever to get back healthy and return the following season and help the team win. That’s resilience. That’s an attitude of always continuing to fight for the team.

Speaking of fight, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles mentioned on a Pewter Report Podcast that if he were in a two-on-two street fight and had to pick a player on the roster to fight with him, that Godwin was his first choice. Hearing Bowles and others, such as Baker Mayfield, talk about Godwin, everyone views him with him the utmost respect.

If we’re going to break down the specifics of why Godwin is the best choice to lead his group across the Delaware River – it’s because he’s from Delaware! Who better to be at the front of the boat giving commands than the person who knows the territory the best. One couldn’t ask for a better leader and commander based on the location alone.

Chris Godwin Jr. will go down as one of the greatest offensive players of all time in Bucs history. Hopefully he can continue on with that legacy and help the Bucs win this upcoming season.

Counterpoint: Field General Baker Mayfield Has Some Real George Washington Qualities

By: Scott Reynolds

Matt Matera isn’t wrong about Chris Godwin Jr. being a fantastic candidate to lead the U.S. Army across the Delaware River on Christmas in 1776. I could totally see that scenario happening for all of the reasons Matera so eloquently stated. Instead of arguing his point, I’m just going to offer up another alternative in this fun Point-Counterpoint topic.

Who better to lead the American troops than the Bucs’ undisputed leader? I’m talking about quarterback Baker Mayfield, who will become a four-time team captain this year in Tampa Bay. Mayfield is the face of the Bucs franchise the way that General George Washington was the face of the American Revolution back in the late 1700s.

Like Washington was in the Continental U.S. Army, working his way up to the ranking of general, Mayfield is equally accomplished in the game of football. He won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and was the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. And like Washington was in his distinguished military career, Mayfield has had to deal with his share of setbacks on the gridiron. Washington lost several battles before ultimately prevailing and winning the American Revolutionary War, and Mayfield has lost starting jobs in Cleveland, Carolina and Los Angeles before finding an incredible amount of success in Tampa Bay in the end.

Mayfield is the perfect commander on the battlefield with his win-at-all-costs playing style. He has the high football I.Q. and ability to audible that would rival Washington’s ability to strategize in battles and within the war. And Mayfield is a daring quarterback, not afraid to leave the pocket and take risks by scrambling and taking the game in his own hands to pick up key first downs with his legs.

Washington was plenty daring in combat, too. And there have been several historical suggestions that the Indians he fought in the French and Indian War in 1755 at the Battle of the Monongahela thought that he actually had divine providence. There were stories that Washington was shot at 17 times in battle and was never hit. Mayfield, for all of the bumps and bruises that he’s been subjected to, has reliably never missed a start in his three years in Tampa Bay.

Mayfield is perhaps a bit more cocky than the stoic Washington was, but both men could lead to the point where everyone else followed. And that’s the sign of great leadership – getting your team to follow you to victory.

So if I had to pick a current Buccaneer to lead the American troops across the Delaware River and then successfully attack the Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton on the morning of December 26, 1776, I would choose Tampa Bay’s ultimate leader with a fighting spirit – Baker Mayfield.