Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is quickly blossoming into one of the NFL’s most potent offensive weapons. So it’s not surprising the team picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
With a base salary of just $690,000 in 2017, he’ll receive a significant raise of around $14 million in 2018 if the Bucs don’t sign him to a long-term extension first. They should. Announcing the move Monday, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said the team wants to “make him a Buc for life,” per Jenna Laine of ESPN.
Still just 23 years old, Evans has already put together three consecutive 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons to open his NFL career. Originally a No. 7 overall pick by the team in 2014, he’s more than lived up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of Texas A&M.
Last season, showing amazing rapport with young quarterback Jameis Winston, Evans caught 96 passes for 1,321 yards (both career highs) and matched his rookie total of 12 touchdowns.
Now teamed up with veteran speedster DeSean Jackson, the sky is the limit for Evans and this young Bucs passing attack.