#Bucs GM Jason Licht said the team will probably have to “strain,” a little, but called Mike Evans “an unprecedented player” and wants to make him a Buc for life. “That was obviously out there and Mike decided to focus on the year and man, did he focus on the year. He had a…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) February 27, 2024
Bucs receiver Mike Evans has indicated he wants to remain in Tampa Bay, but his asking price has made it difficult for Bucs management to get on the same page as the receiver.
As reported by Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud, Bucs GM Jason Licht believes they’ll have to “strain” to keep him a Buc this offseason.
“I know he wants to be a Buc,” Licht said to the Tampa Bay Times. “But to get the deal done, we’ll probably have to strain a little bit, but we’re working towards that right now. But a good deal always takes some time for both sides.”
Evans and the higher-ups have been in contract negotiations for more than a year. Talks between the two parties heated up during the preseason when Evans and his agent, Deryk Gilmore, set a deadline for negotiation before the season began.
Mike Evans’ agents “have informed the Buccaneers organization that we will discontinue contract discussions as of September 9, 2023.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2023
The Galveston, Texas, native said he wanted to get the contract negotiations out of the way before the 2023 season so he could spend the year focusing solely on football. Obviously, that didn’t happen, which brings the two parties to where they are today.
There hasn’t been any information regarding what Evans’ contract might look like with Tampa Bay, specifically, whether it would be long term and guarantee he remain a Buc for life. However, management appears to be on board with signing Evans according to Licht’s statement and is working toward closing in on a deal.
In 2023, the Bucs star receiver logged the second-most receiving touchdowns and third-most receiving yards in his career. Evans hauled in 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns.
