Mike Evans is no longer a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s a sentence that fans expected to hear after the legendary wide receiver’s retirement. However, Evans will still be playing in the 2026 season after signing with the San Francisco 49ers. Buccaneers fans are wondering how the franchise let their star player go.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was inevitably asked this question during his press conference. During his press conference, the GM revealed some details behind their negotiation with Evans. Licht said that he did everything that he could to try to convince Evans to stay. He also added that the Buccaneers offered more money than the 49ers offered. Evans and San Francisco agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal.
After 11 seasons with the team, it would be understandable if some in the organization felt betrayed by Evans’ departure. It did feel like Evans was on track to be a Buccaneer for life after this season. That being said, Licht certainly doesn’t feel that way, saying that the star wide receiver earned the right to make that decision for himself.
“I don’t feel betrayed,” Licht said, per Rick Stroud. “He earned the right to make the decision…he loves this team. He loves everything about it…I think he wanted a new challenge.”
Drafted by the Buccaneers with the seventh-overall pick in 2014, Evans became synonymous with the Tampa Bay organization. The star wide receiver was the epitome of consistency, performing year in and year out, no matter who he was playing with. His greatest achievement was a testament to that consistency, tying the great Jerry Rice’s record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with 11 straight years.
Evans had a chance to break that record in 2025, and it did feel like he had a great shot at doing so. However, he suffered multiple injuries last season, forcing him to miss more than half of the season. He finished his final season with the Buccaneers with just 368 yards after playing eight games.
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