Mike Evans won't have a new NFL home after all.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday, the Buccaneers and Evans reached an agreement on a deal for an average annual value of $26M.
Not many wide receivers get that kind of payday heading into their age-31 season, but not many wide receivers are of Evans' caliber.
Before free agency begins next week, the Buccaneers and five-time Pro-Bowl WR Mike Evans reached agreement on a two-year, $52 million that includes $35 million guaranteed, per his agent @DerykGilmore.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2024
Evans now has a real chance to start and finish his career in Tampa as a Buc. pic.twitter.com/tj68Vk9YpG
Evans has played all 10 seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers, reaching at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of them — a streak achieved by no other NFL receiver in the first 10 years of his career, not even Jerry Rice.
Evans has also hauled in 94 regular-season touchdown passes, so he has a good chance to become the 11th member of the NFL's 100-touchdown reception club this season. Notably, he also has the chance to reach 100 TDs receiving with one team.
Evans — who will likely be in the market for a smaller deal when this contract finishes, as he will be heading into his age-33 season — is likely to be a career Buccaneer. It would be a fitting outcome for a longtime team captain and one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Tampa Bay's retention of Evans before free agency kicks off March 13 also makes it a more attractive destination for quarterbacks, most notably incumbent starter Baker Mayfield, who will hit unrestricted free agency after playing last season on a one-year deal.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin is still under contract as well, so Mayfield could stick around and keep throwing to the star duo that led him to a resurgent 2023 season.
If Mayfield chases a bigger payday elsewhere, the door would be open for a free agent or even a rookie passer to play with one of the NFL's best receiver pairs.
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