Record-breaking Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is entering his 10th season with the team after they selected the Texas A&M product in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
It could also very well be Evans’ final season in Tampa Bay. According to Buccaneers insider Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Evans is entering what will be a swan song with the only organization he’s called home.
“With talks about a contract extension at an impasse, the greatest offensive weapon in club history is playing what likely will be his final season in Tampa Bay,” report on Mike Evans’ contract situation.
Evans, 30, is set to enter the final season of a five-year, $82 million contract he signed with Tampa Bay back in 2018. The future Hall of Famer is said to be seeking a deal similar to the three-year, $80.1 million contract extension fellow star receiver Cooper Kupp signed with the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2022 season.
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Mike Evans stats (2014-2022): 683 receptions, 10,425 yards, 81 TD
One of the most-accomplished receivers in modern NFL history, Evans has earned four Pro Bowl appearances throughout his career. The veteran is also the first player in the history of the league to begin his career with nine consecutive 1,000-yards seasons.
With an aging Tom Brady tossing him the rock in 2022, Evans put up his worst statistical season since back in 2017 (77 receptions, 1,124 yards, 6 TD). That’s still a pretty good split given the Bucs’ issues passing the ball.
Now that Baker Mayfield has taken over for Brady and the Buccaneers are not serious title contenders, it stands to reasons that Evans’ timeline doesn’t mesh with what Tampa Bay is building. It could even lead to a trade ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline should the Bucs find themselves out of playoff contention.