What Made Mike Evans Decide To Stay With The Bucs?

Considering what Mike Evans means to the Bucs organization and the Tampa Bay area as a whole – and considering how well he still played during his age-30 season – it always felt like both sides would eventually come to an agreement on a deal to keep the legendary wide receiver in town for 2024 and beyond.

But there were a few days when it seemed like Evans was set to test free agency for the first time in his career. His agent, Deryk Gilmore, said as much.

That understandably led to some anxious days for the Bucs and their fans, but in the end, Mike Evans called his agent last Sunday night and told him he wanted to be a Buc for life. The next day, news broke of Tampa Bay signing Evans to a two-year deal worth at least $41 million.

So, what all went into Mike Evans deciding before free agency that he wants to stay with the Bucs for the entirety of his career? As it turns out, there was no shortage of factors.

Mike Evans Always Wanted To Be A Buc For Life

From the opening statement of his press conference on Friday afternoon, Mike Evans made it clear that he got what he always wanted – a chance to stay with the Bucs for the entirety of his career.

“Obviously, it’s been well known that I wanted to be a Buc for my whole career,” Evans said. “It’s very rare to stay with one team the entirety of your career and that’s something that was a goal of mine. This is one step closer to one of my biggest goals. Thank you to the Glazer family – they’ve always treated me and my family great – Jason [Licht], Mike [Greenberg], all of the front office, all of the coaches that I’ve had since I’ve been here, all of my teammates. I’m really appreciative of what they’ve meant to me and what they’ve done for me throughout my time here. Tampa, I love y’all.”

Evans has meant a great deal to the Bucs organization and the Tampa Bay area from the moment he was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Even during some lean seasons for the team from 2014-2019, he was the highlight. Fans could pencil him in for 1,000 yards every season, and he always delivered. It wasn’t long before he was rewriting record books, and he would soon cement himself as the best offensive player in franchise history.

Bucs WR Mike Evans and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

But everything went to another level in 2020 when Tom Brady arrived. Mike Evans was Brady’s No. 1 receiver, which meant a new level of stardom. Evans continued to deliver under the bigger spotlight, too.

He totaled 1,006 yards and a then-franchise record 13 touchdowns in 2020 and went on to win the Super Bowl that year. That Lombardi Trophy meant a lot to everyone, but it meant even more to the likes of Evans, Lavonte David and Will Gholston – guys who had been around for all of the losing seasons prior to the team climbing to the top of the NFL world.

The winning continued after that season, and so did Evans’ consistency. He had another 1,000-yard season in 2021 and set a new franchise record for receiving touchdowns with 14. His touchdown numbers then dipped in 2022, but his yardage didn’t. Then, this past season in a contract year, he put together his best season since 2018, posting 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The 10-year veteran has 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons to build upon. He’s long wanted to break Jerry Rice’s 1,000-yard season streak, which stands at an NFL-record 11 years. Evans will now get a chance to tie that record in 2024 and if he can do so, he’ll have a chance to break it in 2025.

And it will all be in a Bucs uniform, which makes all the more special for Evans.

Relationships Were A Big Decider In Mike Evans Staying In Tampa

Bucs WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There’s a lot that goes into the idea of Mike Evans wanting to be a Buc for life in the first place. If he wasn’t happy where he was, he certainly wouldn’t feel the desire to stick where he is just for the principle of it. Relationships are at the core of Evans’ love for Tampa. He has relationships with the front office, coaches, teammates, fans and the community.

With the Mike Evans Family Foundation, the Bucs’ star receiver has built some important and lasting relationships in the community. On Friday, he pointed to those relationships as another factor in his decision to remain with Tampa Bay.

“I didn’t want to leave the community,” Evans said. “I’ve made life-long relationships in the community. There are domestic violence centers that we’re a big part of, so we didn’t want to leave that. Even though we always would have probably helped, it’s cool to be close to home.”

As for his relationships with his teammates, Evans said it’s the guys in the locker room who make even the hardest times easier to deal with.

“The camaraderie is super important,” Evans said. “Those are my friends forever. The guys that I’ve won a Super Bowl with – we’re etched in history together forever. It means a lot to have those guys in the locker room. They make coming to work super easy. It can be hard at times. I know we get paid a lot and we’re playing at the highest level, but we’re human beings and we deal with things in life, as well. Just having those guys around makes everything much easier.”

And then there’s his relationship with Bucs general manager Jason Licht, who made him a Buc in the first place. Evans was the first-ever draft pick Licht made when he got the job with Tampa Bay in 2014.

“He just means a lot to me, period. He has so much belief in me, it’s crazy. I’m super appreciative of it,” Evans said. “Me and him are really good friends and I know his family really well – his wife, his kids. They’ve always been great to me and my family, and they are family. It was easy. It was easy because this is my guy.”

And finally – of course – there’s Evans’ relationship with Bucs fans. He mentioned the support of the fans being another reason that Tampa has become his home.

“That’s how Tampa has always been toward me and my family, so that’s why this is home,” he said. “They’ve always shown me love even when I’m not playing well. They always have my back and that drives me and motivates me to try to be a better player and a better man.”

Mike Evans Wants To Keep Winning – And He Thinks The Bucs Are Close

Bucs WR Mike Evans Photo by: USA Today

After going through six seasons of losing and then being a part of four straight playoff appearances (with a Super Bowl and three NFC South titles), Mike Evans isn’t interested in going back to losing football any time soon. And he thinks the Bucs are close to getting back where they want to be.

“I think we’re in a really good place,” Evans said. “We could have been better last year – we were super close to making it to the NFC Championship [Game]. When you get into the tournament, anything can happen. I wish I could have played a little bit better for us in the postseason and help us get to the NFC Championship [Game]. That’s what I plan on doing this year.”

In recent years, the path to the Super Bowl has often involved the San Francisco 49ers. That’s a team that has given Tampa Bay some trouble over the last couple of years, but Evans thinks the Bucs can get by the 49ers and get back to a point where they’re playing for the sport’s ultimate prize once again.

“The Niners were beatable from when we played them earlier in the year if we play them better,” he said. “I think we can always compete within our division. I think we can always compete with the guys we have. We’re Super Bowl-caliber players. We know what it takes.”

Ashli Evans Seals The Deal For Mike Evans’ Return To Tampa Bay

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs fans may want to send Ashli Evans a barrage of “thank you” notes, as Mike Evans said Friday that it was his wife who helped sway his decision as he was weighing the possibility of testing free agency and playing somewhere else in 2024.

“I was eating dinner with my wife, Ashli, and she hadn’t said anything up until the process [started],” Evans said. “I obviously wanted to be a Buccaneer, and there were some things that we were working through. When you’ve played for one team for so long, you obviously think about what it would be like playing somewhere else. I have a lot of friends on other teams. It was a cool dream, but Tampa is my home – it’s where I’ve always wanted to be. We got a great deal – my agents got a great deal done with Jason [Licht]. I couldn’t pass up on it. I look forward to being a [Buccaneer] for life.”

Evans later expanded on how his wife, Ashli, played a role in his decision to stay with the Bucs.

“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.’”

So, Mike Evans and the Evans Family are set to stay in Tampa for another two years. And as things stand, if the soon-to-be 31-year-old receiver wants to play into his age-33 season and beyond, it would be a surprise if those years are spent anywhere else.

Mike Evans. Buccaneer for life.