TAMPA, Fla. — The 2023 football season might be the last time we see Mike Evans in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform.
In a press release sent to media outlets, Evans’ agent Deryk Gilmore says his client has not received an offer from the organization to stay in town beyond the upcoming year.
“We will discontinue contract discussions as of September 9, 2023,” Gilmore said in his statement.
Mike Evans signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Bucs in 2018. The wide receiver just turned 30 years old and you wonder what kind of commitment the organization wants to make moving forward, considering Tristan Wirfs, Antoine Winfield Jr., Devin White and Baker Mayfield (if deserving) all need new deals after the season.
Evans’ talent, commitment to the community and to this organization are undeniable. Despite what happens in these negotiations or his future, he will be one of the greatest Buccaneers of all time. Evans has 10,425 career receiving yards and 81 receiving touchdowns.
Both rank first in franchise history, and it’s not even close. Chris Godwin is second in yards at 5,666 and Jimmie Giles is second in touchdowns at 34.
If a deal is not worked out before Sept. 10, which is when the Bucs play Minnesota to begin the season on 10 Tampa Bay, Evans will enter 2024 as a free agent. While that means Tampa Bay could realistically still be in the running for him, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting it would likely mean the end of his time with the team.
According to Gilmore, he has pursued an extension for Evans for more than a year now. It is clear patience has withered away with Bucs general manager Jason Licht and company having less than 10 days to figure this out.
