It seems that Mike Evans’ decision to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 came down to one simple thing, the opinion of his wife Ashli Dotson.
Mike Evans is the greatest wide receiver in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history and it is not even close. He leads the franchise in most receiving yards all time (11,680), touchdowns (94), and catches (762). However, it wasn’t long ago that it seemed to be very possible he may not finish his career with the team that selected him seventh overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Also Read: Top NFL free agents of 2024: Ranking the top 400 overall and by position
The Bucs are working with a limited budget in 2024 and re-signing quarterback Baker Mayfield is just as big a priority as retaining fellow free agent Evans. If they had to choose between the two, it seemed like bringing back the signal caller who had a career year for them in 2023 was a bigger goal.
However, to the surprise of many, Tampa Bay and Evans agreed to a new two-year, $41 million deal earlier this week. The news was met with celebration and relief from Buccaneers fans because in the end it looked like Evans valued continuing his career with the only franchise he ever played for. However, while that is true it took a little help to finally push him in the direction of signing a new deal.
- Mike Evans stats (2023): 79 catches, 1,255 yards, 13 TD, 15.9 YPC
On Friday, Evans revealed to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that it was the opinion of his wife that helped him decide to stay in Tampa for at least two more seasons.
“I don’t want to say I was waiting for my wife to speak up. But she just planted it,” Evans said. “These things are just like, day and night, you have to think about it. We were thinking and it just hit her and she said, ‘Maybe we should stay in Tampa, babe.’ I mean, I wanted to be in Tampa and they offered me great money. It wasn’t about the money.
“I just wanted to see everything as a whole and if we were going to get Baker back and things like that. But I know I can play with whoever is at quarterback. Obviously, I hope it’s Baker.”
So if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers end up winning another NFC South title in 2024 with the wide receivers’ help, fans of the team can also thank Mike Evans’ wife for leading him back to the team in March.
Also Read: NFL Free Agency FAQ – Everything you need to know about 2024 NFL free agency