Bucs GM Says They Offered WR Mike Evans More Money Than 49ers

Buccaneers GM Jason Licht told reporters on Wednesday that Tampa Bay tried hard to keep WR Mike Evans, even offering him more than the three-year, $42.5 million deal he signed with the 49ers. 

“I feel like we did everything we could. I had a lot of talks with Mike about that,” Licht said via Rick Stroud.

However, in the end, Evans elected for a change of scenery after a dozen years in Tampa Bay. Licht said there were no hard feelings and that he got the sense Evans wanted a new challenge. 

“I don’t feel betrayed. He earned the right to make the decision,” he said via Stroud. “…He loves this team. He loves everything about it…I think he wanted a new challenge.”

After Evans signed with the 49ers, his agent gave a lengthy statement to Adam Schefter explaining the decision. It struck on some of the same themes Licht alluded to today: 

“After twelve remarkable seasons in Tampa Bay, Mike Evans felt a desire to challenge himself with a new chapter in the final stage of his career. Throughout his entire career he has pushed himself to grow, compete, and evolve as a player, and this decision reflects that same mindset.

Mike has tremendous love and respect for the Buccaneers organization, the Glazer family, the coaches, his teammates, and especially the fans in Tampa Bay who have supported him since the day he was drafted. Tampa will always be home to him, and he is deeply proud of everything they accomplished together.

He also has great belief in the future of the Buccaneers’ wide receiver room. Mike has tremendous respect for Chris Godwin and believes that Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, and Tez Johnson are incredibly talented young players who will thrive as they continue to develop and take on larger roles in the offense.

At this stage of his career, Mike’s goals remain the same as they have always been — to compete for another Super Bowl, to play in an offensive system that challenges defenses, and to be in an environment where he can continue to push himself and contribute at the highest level.

The Buccaneers made it clear they would have loved for Mike to finish his career in Tampa and potentially become just the fourth player in franchise history to spend his entire career as a Buccaneer and ultimately walk into Canton representing the organization.

Mike Evans’ decision to leave Tampa was never about money. The Buccaneers were extremely aggressive in their pursuit and presented a very strong offer, demonstrating how much they value him and everything he has meant to the franchise.

In the end, this decision simply came down to Mike wanting a new challenge and a fresh opportunity while he still feels he has a great deal left to give the game.

Tampa Bay will always be a special place for Mike Evans, and his respect and gratitude for the organization and its fans will never change.”

Evans, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Buccaneers back in 2014. He was in the final year of his four-year, $14.631 million contract and set to make a base salary of $690,000 for the 2017 season when he agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million extension that includes $55 million guaranteed in 2018. 

He made a base salary of $13 million in the final year of his deal and was set to become an unrestricted free agent when he agreed to a two-year extension worth $52 million in 2024. 

In 2025, Evans appeared in eight games for the Buccaneers and recorded 30 catches on 62 targets for 368 yards and three touchdowns.