The Tampa Bay Buccaneers checked off one of the most important boxes on their offseason to-do list this week, signing five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans to a two-year contract extension.
That new deal likely ensures that Evans will get to finish his career where it started in Tampa Bay, and also kept the future Hall of Famer from hitting the open market for the first time in his career.
So, how close was Evans to actually testing out free agency?
“I was eating dinner with my wife, Ashli, and she hadn’t said anything up until the process [started],” Evans said during Friday’s press conference to officially announce the signing. “I obviously wanted to be a Buccaneer, and there were some things that we were working through. 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.”
So, while it looks like Evans entertained the possibility of playing for a new team after a decade with the Bucs, Tampa Bay fans might have his wife to thank for tipping the scales in favor of the star pass-catcher staying home and working out a new deal.
