Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin will remain in the Bay Area for another three seasons.
The San Francisco 49ers announced on Thursday that they signed Goodwin to a three-year extension through the 2021 season. The deal is worth $20.3 million with $10 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
“From the minute Marquise joined our team, he has shown us everything we want to see in a 49er,” said General Manager John Lynch in a team statement. “He leads by example with a tremendous work ethic, a trait that helped him expand his repertoire as a football player and post his most successful season as a pro last year. Marquise earned this extension by coming in every day focused on doing his job and, as a result, he made himself and his teammates better.”
In his first season with San Francisco, Goodwin started all 16 games and set career highs in receptions (56) and receiving yards (962). He also added two touchdowns.
Despite the on field success, 2017 was a very challenging year for the Goodwin family. In November, Goodwin’s son, Marquise Jr., died due to complications at birth. Hours after announcing the somber news on his Instagram page, he played in a game against the New York Giants and caught an 83-yard yard touchdown pass. The 49ers would go on to win 31-21.
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“Honest to God truth, the only reason I made it through the game is because of my faith in God,” Goodwin said to ESPN. “I mentally and physically was not prepared to play in the game — at all. I really didn’t even practice that week, I was just going through a lot. Just trying to get my body rested from the week before and the week before that. Coming into the game, I wasn’t really in it because I had just lost my baby. My wife, we prayed about it and I guess she felt that God moved her to allow me to go play and she encouraged me. She raised my spirits up and helped me get ready for the game.”
“So that’s what’s so cool about the situation is, my wife, how supportive she is and how encouraging she is, all these great things that she does for me to help me go out there and play the way that I did. I think it speaks more about her character than mine because here she is, she could be holding me back, she could make me feel guilty about having to go and play football, which is just a game, in the grand scheme of things, and what we dealt with was a real-life situation, a death. Not only a death but a death to our infant child. So, situations like that, you only make it through that with your faith in God.”
The team recognized Goodwin by awarding his as the winner of the Len Eshmont Award, which is voted on by 49ers players and is given to the 49er who best exemplifies the inspirational and courageous play of Len Eshmont, an original member of the 1946 49ers team. He was also San Francisco’s winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, which is presented in Ed Block’s name each year to the player that exemplified a commitment to sportsmanship and courage.
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. – Job 23:10-11 https://t.co/DLNQrh2R8q
— Marquise Goodwin (@flashg88dwin) March 3, 2018
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