Mike Evans will probably be a Buccaneer for life, as the team announced that it has officially re-signed the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s a two-year, $52 million deal with $35 million guaranteed, per his agent.
During the 2023 campaign, in which Evans earned both Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors, he finished the season tied for first in touchdown receptions (13) while ranking ninth in receiving yards (1,255) on 79 receptions. He was one of four players last season with 1,000+ receiving yards and 10+ receiving touchdowns, joining CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Among players with 75+ receptions this season, Evans finished third in yards per catch (15.9). He also hauled in three receptions of 50 or more yards in 2023, tying for the third-most in the NFL.
The 30-year-old avoided free agency and stayed in Tampa Bay.
“I was eating dinner with my wife, Ashli, and she hadn’t said anything up until the process [started]. I obviously wanted to be a Buccaneer, and there were some things that we were working through,” Evans said. “When you’ve played for one team for so long, you obviously think about what it would be like playing somewhere else. I have a lot of friends on other teams. It was a cool dream, but Tampa is my home – it’s where I’ve always wanted to be. We got a great deal – my agents got a great deal done with Jason [Licht]. I couldn’t pass up on it. I look forward to being a [Buccaneer] for life.”
Re-signing Evans, who has surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his 10 career seasons, may mean that the team could be looking to bring back soon-to-be free-agent quarterback Baker Mayfield. Last season, Mayfield led Tampa to a victory in the playoffs over the Eagles as the Bucs’ season would end in the divisional round against the Lions.
According to Evans, Mayfield is an elite signal-caller.
“Absolutely,” Evans said about Mayfield being an elite quarterback. “It’s on record that I’ve played with many quarterbacks throughout my career, so that doesn’t matter. Whoever the quarterback is, he’s an NFL quarterback. But, yeah, me and Baker, we have a really good connection. I think he’s an elite quarterback.”
Evans believes the Buccaneers are not far off from being a championship team.
“I think we’re in a really good place,” he said. “We could have been better last year – we were super close to making it to the NFC Championship [Game]. When you get into the tournament, anything can happen. I wish I could have played a little bit better for us in the postseason and help us get to the NFC Championship [Game]. That’s what I plan on doing this year.”
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