NFL free agency is set to kick off in a couple of weeks, and as expected, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is set to hit the open market for the first time in his career.
While Evans and the Bucs have had discussions about a new contract extension that would keep him in Tampa Bay for good, it’s likely that Evans will get to see what he’s worth elsewhere, and whether or not the Bucs will be able to match those numbers.
Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz just spoke with Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, and got a clear picture of what his client is looking for:
Just spoke with Mike Evans’ agent, @DerykGilmore, who says: “Mike wants to play with an elite quarterback in an offense that will showcase him — and be paid like a top wide receiver. He doesn’t want to play with a rookie QB. Winning a Super Bowl is a key priority.”
Evans is… https://t.co/HUC7dmlIWd
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 2, 2024
Evans is definitely going to get paid a lot of money, whether that’s by the Bucs or another team, but it remains to be seen just how much he’ll get as he heads into a season in which he’ll turn 31 years old.
The Bucs also want to bring back Baker Mayfield, but does Evans’ camp consider him an “elite quarterback,” with a chance to lead Evans and the Bucs to another Super Bowl? At the very least, Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense did feature Evans heavily last year, leading to some of the best numbers of his career and a fifth Pro Bowl nod.
It still makes the most sense for Evans to return to the Bucs, but it only takes one team to give the Tampa Bay legend everything he’s looking for on the open market, and it might just price the Bucs out of the best offensive player in franchise history.
