The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have nine days to extend wide receiver Mike Evans long-term, according to Evans and his agent. If they don’t, Evans claims he’ll end negotiations with the Bucs — and while the team would surely like to make Evans a Buc for life, doing so might not be as easy as it sounds.
Evans is reportedly looking for a deal similar to Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp, which is around $80 million for three years with $75 million guaranteed and $20 million in signing bonus. Spotrac projects the contracts of each NFL free agent for their respective class, and their projection for Evans is similar to the Kupp contract he’s desiring.
Spotrac has Evans projected at around $92 million over four years, making around $23 million per year. That makes him the highest projected wideout in the 2024 free agency class under Spotrac, in front of Bengals WR Tee Higgins and Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. A contract like that would be a very tough ask for Tampa Bay, who will be wary about making a receiver over the age of 30 one of the highest-paid in the league amidst cap struggles and the need to pay other players on the roster.
Should Evans leave in free agency, the Bucs would only get a fifth-rounder in compensation due to Evans’ veteran status as a 10-plus-year player. As a result, if the team is unable to come to an agreement by Evans’ deadline and Evans truly no longer wishes to speak to Tampa Bay, then trading him would perhaps be a better option.
