Mike Evans is, without a doubt, one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history. In 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has been nothing but prolific, hitting 1,000 yards in all of them – the most to start a career with.
However, this offseason, the fruitful tenure that has produed a Super Bowl title, two All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowls, almost ended. Speaking to the NFL Network, Evans revealed that he had two AFC contenders in mind during free agency besides the Buccaneers:
“I mean, in the back of my mind. I’m thinking Houston, Kansas City. I love Pat Mahomes’ game. I’m thinking those two teams. And I’m obviously thinking the Bucs.”
However he couldn’t fathom the thought of leaving his family behind, hence his decision to re-sign for two years and $52 million:
“I’ve been here my whole career. And that was a goal of mine, obviously. … It would’ve been extremely hard to leave here. But this is where my family knows. My kids were born here. My wife (Ashli)’s been here a long time.”
Speaking of Ashli, she was the one who urged him to stay in Southwest Florida during a dinner date:
“She gave me the go-ahead. … I was gonna hit free agency, and then, we were at dinner; she said, ‘I think you should stay in Tampa.'”
The Chiefs would eventually pivot towards signing Marquise Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy, while the Texans traded for Stefon Diggs in a blockbuster move.
Mike Evans’ new offensive coordinator Liam Coen played a huge role in Evans staying in Tampa
Another reason for Mike Evans’ Buccaneers extension was the hiring of offensive coordinator Liam Coen. He had been hired from the Kentucky Wildcats to succeed Dave Canales, who had left to become the coach of the Carolina Panthers.
During Thursday’s practice media scrum, Mike Evans said:
“I like him. I talked to him even before I re-signed. That’s another reason I wanted to sign back. He had all these plans to continue giving me the ball. I love to hear that. That just makes me happy.”
The Buccaneers start their preseason at the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 10. They begin their regular season against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 8.
