“Todd, did you know Mike Evans read so many books he wanted to start a new chapter? I always thought he was a video games guy.”

Joe can fully understand why Bucs fans are upset.

Look, most Bucs fans were suspicious about Bucs coach Todd Bowles when he was named Bucco Bruce Arians’s successor. Unfortunately, specifically last season, Bowles has done little to soothe those suspicions. If anything, he has enflamed them.

So there was no coaching change, which angered, if not drove some Bucs fans away until they witness someone inspire change at One Buc Palace.

Then, the Bucs lose their Hall of Fame receiver and best corner in free agency and a Hall of Fame linebacker retire. Those massive holes were replaced with… a good inside linebacker, another veteran linebacker known for tackles and a backup Bucky Irving clone.

It’s hard for fans to look at the current Bucs roster and not believe the team took two steps back in free agency following an 8-9 record, missing the playoffs after starting 6-2.

Not good.

The Mike Evans saga is covered in mystery and intrigue. Given Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht’s words, Evans didn’t leave due to targets.

Some 14 months ago, Evans professed his love of the Bucs, of Bucs fans and of Tampa Bay. He openly spoke about his career goal of being a one-helmet guy. Then, even to the surprise of the Bucs themselves, Evans up and left. Turned down millions more per year to go to San Francisco.

There, he said, he felt he had a better shot at a ring. That he was the 49ers’ final piece to the puzzle.

What happened? Everything the Bucs have said since simply doesn’t fully add up. To take a pay cut and take on the burden of 13 percent state taxes in California (not to mention the overall cost of living) as opposed to zero income taxes in Florida, leaving a team he supposedly loved to go play for a team he thinks is better but lost to the Bucs without him in 2025, it’s just weird man.

Joe gave up trying to apply logic to an emotional decision but he sure smells that something or someone soured Evans (or his family) on the Bucs.

At the NFL owners meetings in Arizona on Monday, senior AP NFL writer Rob Maadi, who is based in central Florida, asked Licht point blank if Evans leaving was a shock to the organization and if it is a wakeup call that the team must do better both on and off the field to ensure other stars don’t take a paycut in order to escape Tampa Bay.

Rob Maadi: My question: When you guys make a better offer, right? And it’s clear that [Mike Evans] thinks he’s going to a better situation, a better environment … how does that translate within the organization? Do you feel like, “Hey, we we’ve got to do a better job. We’re further away than we like.” Is there repercussions?

Jason Licht: I will say that I don’t want to get too deep with the conversations that we had. I don’t necessarily think that it’s because he thought it was a better situation [in San Francisco]. OK, so, you know, he made a decision to begin a new chapter, but I don’t know if it was because he thought it was a better situation.

Now Joe asked Licht a couple of weeks ago when he had a sitdown with select Tampa Bay media what he thought about Jamel Dean and Evans both saying they had a better chance to win a ring in their new homes. Joe thought that may have really got someone at One Buc Palace peeved. At least it should have.

Licht waved off Joe’s question, saying all new players say that at their new team’s introductory press conferences, so he didn’t put any stock into that.

Well, that was Licht’s public response. Behind closed doors, Joe’s willing to bet Licht winged a Joe Tryon-Shoyinka bobblehead doll across his office.

Licht may be playing the good soldier here. You know, keeping the high road — a lot of things Licht says, while they may sound outrageous to us (Chris Braswell will “shock” people), Licht’s not saying that to placate the public but instead is looking to give his players (or coaches) a very public morale boost and support and damn the public reaction.

Joe honestly doesn’t know too many people willing to take a multimillion-dollar hit to the checkbook just to start a “new chapter.” You really think Evans’ agent advised him to take a massive pay cut? Agents get paid by a percentage of the contract.

Maybe by the end of the decade, when enough people are no longer frightened by the repercussions, someone or some people will finally spill the beans on what or who chased Evans out of Tampa Bay.