Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has been one of the most consistent producers in the NFL since he entered the league. A first-round pick, No. 7 overall, out of Texas A&M, Mike Evans has been as steady as they come.
He has reached the 1,000-yard plateau in all nine of his seasons as a professional, being named to the Pro Bowl team four times. Regardless of who has been under center, he has been a reliable to-go receiver and is hoping to continue that in Tampa Bay.
However, his future with the Buccaneers is up in the air. Entering the final season of his contract, Mike Evans has been vocal that if it were up to him, he wouldn’t be going anywhere. He wants to finish out his career with the same franchise that selected him in the first round nine years ago.
“It’s no secret that I want to be a Buc for life,” he said in a statement released by his representation, Day 1 Sports and Entertainment. “It’s rare for players to stay, especially this day and age, to stay on a team for as long as I have. I want to just finish here.”
However, such an offer has not come from the Buccaneers yet. According to Mike Evans’ representation, Tampa Bay has not extended an offer to keep the star wide receiver with the franchise.
“We have been working on extending Mike’s career with the Bucs for over a year, and we want the fans to know this is not a tactic and the ball is in the owner’s court,” the agency said. “That said, we are giving the Bucs until the start of the regular season to make him a Buc for Life, and if that cannot happen, 100 percent of Mike’s focus will be on football and his future and where he can continue to make an impact.”
The Buccaneers are running out of time to get a deal done. Mike Evans has set a deadline to receive an extension, otherwise, he will be testing the open market in 2024. Week 1 of the 2023 season is the deadline.
In the statement released Friday, his representation made it clear that Mike Evans, “wants the next phase of his career to be with an organization who wants him and wants him to help win a Super Bowl.”
“Which is why we have informed the Buccaneers organization that we will discontinue contract discussions as of September 9, 2023,” per the agency.
Mike Evans made it clear that he wants to focus solely on helping the Buccaneers win games during the regular season, not his contract, which is a big reason that the deadline has been put in place. Tampa Bay has put themselves in a trick position, as fellow wide receiver Chris Godwin signed a three-year, $60 million deal last offseason.
According to Mike Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, the Buccaneers do not want to pay two wide receivers $20 million annually. If that is true, his client could have a new team ahead of the trade deadline or as a free agent in 2024.
