Mike Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, says in a statement they will suspend contract negotiations with the Bucs by next week if a new deal is not reached. It may be Evans’ final season in Tampa, and Gilmore says the ball is in the owner’s court. pic.twitter.com/3NSAlB2YZK
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) September 1, 2023
Wide receiver Mike Evans’ future as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer is officially in jeopardy.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported late last night that Evans and his agent were at an impasse regarding his upcoming contract extension, and that situation escalated early Friday morning. Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, released a statement demanding that the Bucs extend Evans by Sept. 9, the day before the regular season — or his client will look elsewhere.
Evans is one of many notable 2024 free agents, and therein may lie the problem with giving him a big contract. The Bucs will want to pay players like safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and potentially linebacker Devin White, and the team will have to pay a quarterback either way — quarterback Baker Mayfield is only on a one-year deal.
According to Stroud, Evans is seeking a deal similar to the one the Rams gave WR Cooper Kupp. Kupp was given a three-year, $80 million deal with $75 million of it guaranteed and an additional $20 million in signing bonus.
Evans has been a mainstay in Tampa Bay and has been a beloved fan favorite, but his agent is claiming that the general manager Jason Licht and the Bucs have not given him an offer to extend him and that Evans finds this “disappointing.” The team has about a week before their deadline hits, so the two sides will likely be in discussion moving forward.
It should be noted that the Bucs would also, in theory, have use of the franchise tag in 2024. Should Evans refuse to negotiate further, the tag could be used on him in the coming offseason.
