One of the best pieces of news coming out of the National Football League this week took place early Monday morning when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that wide receiver Mike Evans, arguably the greatest offensive player in franchise history, won’t be needing a moving truck.
Instead, Evans, one of the top wide receivers in all of football, is staying in the city that drafted him – a place that has 10 months of picturesque weather, award-winning, sun-splashed beaches, a top-rated international airport, and a pretty darn good football team that’s showing signs of becoming an excellent one.
Breathe easy, Buc fans.
Your star pass catcher is staying in the place where his football career began and is now armed with a new contract and a puncher’s chance of spending his entire career playing his home games in the only stadium in NFL history that has a real live pirate ship.
Fire the cannons, Tampa Bay.
Monday’s news – in every sense – was a win for Evans, a win for the team, and a win for the fans who cheer wholeheartedly for the guys wearing red and pewter.
One week before the NFL’s free agency period was to begin, Tampa Bay and Evans, a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, reached an agreement on a two-year, 52 million dollar contract which includes 35 million dollars guaranteed. The deal averages 26 million dollars per year, making Evans, 30, the oldest wide receiver in League history to earn a deal this big on his third NFL contract.
Evans’ deal not only helps power Tampa Bay’s offense, it serves as another key recruiting tool for free agent quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has publicly stated his desire to continue playing with Evans. Additionally, the deal is Tampa Bay’s first major step in keeping together the nucleus that won the team"s third consecutive NFC South division title in 2023, and it comes a little over a week before Evans could have tested the free agent market for the first time in his illustrious career.
Evans – a pro’s pro with exceptional hands and consistent production at a position where many of his peers require constant codling and psychiatric reassurance – was drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M.
Since then, he has posted more than 1,000 yards receiving in all 10 of his NFL seasons, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in catches (762), receiving yards (11,680), receiving touchdowns (94) and 100-yard receiving games (36). His streak of 10 straight 1,000-yard campaigns at any point in a player"s career is just one behind the record of 11 established by Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers (1985-2000).
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, speaking with NFL Network’s Peter Schrager ahead of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine had nothing but praise for Evans, one of the most popular and beloved Buccaneers in team history.
“He had a career year last year," Bowles said. “He"s been doing it for a decade now, and obviously, we want him to retire as a Buc. And everything we"re trying to do, put all our resources to sign him back as well, because Mike is great for the community, great for the team, he"s great for the guys, he"s a heck of a ball player."
One day after signing Evans, Tampa Bay placed the franchise tag on star safety Antoine Winfield which means the ball-hawking defensive back will earn 17.1 million dollars this season. And while Winfield is locked in for 2024, the move doesn"t preclude the team from diving into long-term extension discussions throughout the offseason. The two sides would have until July 17 to hammer out an extension before Winfield would be forced to play on his tender.
The 25-year-old is coming off his best season in the NFL as a key fixture in Tampa Bay"s secondary. His clutch play throughout the year earned him All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. In 17 games, the former second-round pick out of Minnesota totaled 122 tackles, six sacks, 12 pass breakups and three interceptions. Winfield"s six forced fumbles were also tied for the league lead.
Tampa Bay’s remaining offseason priorities include re-signing Mayfield, linebacker LaVonte David, kicker Chase McLaughlin, and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.
“It"s an extremely high priority obviously," Bowles said. “We love Baker, Baker had a heck of a year, he fit right in with us all the way around. The chemistry was outstanding with him and all the receivers and the offense as a whole. You want to hope to build on that — I understand the business side of it. We like [Mayfield] and we hope things get worked out."
Tampa Bay General Manager Jason Licht, speaking with reporters at the scouting combine, vocalized his desire to extend the relationship with Mayfield beyond the 2023 season where he demonstrated the level of play that made him the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Licht confirmed the Buccaneers have started contract negotiations with Mayfield, who earned the 2023 Most Improved Player Award from the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) after establishing career highs in completions (364), passing yards (4,044), touchdown passes (28) and completion percentage (64.3).
Mayfield led Tampa Bay to wins in five of its final six regular season games and became the first visiting quarterback in NFL history to post a perfect passer rating at Lambeau Field during the team’s 34-20 win over the Packers. Mayfield hit 22 of 28 passes for 381 yards with four touchdown passes and no interceptions for a perfect 158.3 passer rating on December 18, 2023.
"Baker meant a lot to this team, this fan base and this town and I think we meant a lot to him," Licht said. "I’ve said it before, but he sought us out. He gambled on us, saw it as a good situation and saw it better than a lot of national outlets that saw us winning two games. So, he thought it would be good for him and it certainly was. I know he wants to be a Buc and we want him to be a Buc, so that is usually a good starting point."
