About Mike Evans’ New Contract
March 10th, 2026
It’s important to Bucs history to understand what Tampa Bay did or did not offer to a lost franchise icon the team claims it was committed to keeping.
So Joe is waiting for detailed/official numbers on Mike Evans’ new contract with the 49ers before serving up an opinion.
Joe has seen conflicting initial reports. Incentives, options and guaranteed money in the contract are unclear, as is Evans’ first-year cash haul.
Those numbers should become clear closer to when Evans actually signs his contract after the new NFL year begins tomorrow afternoon.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:01 am
Sadly he was done with the Bucs the writing has been on the walls.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:05 am
It speaks volumes if M1k3 took less money to go the 49ers. Really sad to see. I mean I trust Shanahan way more than Bowles too. But to walk away from more money and your community is a stunning rebuke of the Bucs for me
March 10th, 2026 at 8:05 am
Evans was done after the Bucs extended Godwin, drafted Ekbuka and then the 3rd and 28 convinced him Todd’s ceiling is 10 wins and likely one and done in the playoffs. Money was not the issue, being the alpha receiver on a team with a good head coach who handled injuries well and does not throw his players and coaches under the bus. “3rd and 28”, a phrase that will live in infamy.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:06 am
Nice picture caption.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:07 am
This site is gonna be unbearable with all the ME drama.
He was a great Buc.
Now he’s gone.
We still have a very good group at WR.
Move on ladies.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:08 am
Who cares he gone. Wailing and Flailing will not bring him back. Quit beating this poor dead horse.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:11 am
Mike probably got tired of seeing half his stadium full of the other team’s fans.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:11 am
When all the dust settles, it’s still a business decision. Time to move on like we’ve always had to do.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:12 am
Doosh, correct. Joe is going to milk this for everything he has. Especially given how convinced he was that he was going to stay. God forbid he has a great season with the niners. We will hear that All season as well.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:18 am
From what I’ve gathered seeing all the reports since the news broke, is Mike took money Tampa could’ve matched easily, but he clearly wanted to be elsewhere.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:19 am
Who cares about his contract, he would ahve gone even for free. Always ME13 F Todd Bowles and Glazers. Go 49ers
March 10th, 2026 at 8:23 am
Joe,
If the contract is 3 years then that is likely a sticking point for Mike. As you and others have mentioned, going by statistics, a WR over 30 years old is more likely to fall off. Bucs did not give him a three year contract two years ago when he was 30. I think Bucs giving Godwin who was 29 but had two massive injuries was given three years and 66 million. Also as I mentioned in your poll post about how we feel about Mike leaving, I think he meant “3rd and 28…what am I doing HERE. That was the final straw for him. Glazers, Licht, and Bowles are why he left.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:23 am
I’m amazed that so many so called Bucs fan just come in here and whine. You back to your basements and wait for mommy to cook dinner. Our WRs are still outstanding; spend what ME was getting on D and we are a better team.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:27 am
Reports I’ve heard is Tampa offered more.
This wasn’t at all about Evans taking the best offer. This was about Evans taking the best opportunity for him.
Mike wanted to leave..he’s gone. The last 2 years Mike struggled to get thru games. It took at forced last play of the season to get Mike 1k even in a high powered Coen led offense. Last season, Mike was injured and had his worst year of his career. Still love the guy, but he wanted to bolt because of Bowles and went to greener pastures in San Fran.
Will miss big Mike..time to move on.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:28 am
When the going gets tough, the tough abandon ship.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:31 am
I will miss holding my breath after each catch as he either limps or grimaces in pain.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:31 am
shoulda just franchised him
March 10th, 2026 at 8:32 am
SC Bucs Fan, even though Florida doesn’t have a basement, you are the one in the basement. We are the real fans because we don’t like mediocrity, and having Bowles for coach means that the Glazers gave up for 2026. Weirdly, they might make more money when we lose or something like that. You actually lost players in defense and haven’t added anything yet, except anzalone which for some reason, Detroit let him walk.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:36 am
Mike saw the Glazers were not interested in doing everything they can to get better by moving on from.Bowles. the Greats don’t settle for mediocrity.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:37 am
He took less money to get away from this poop show. This speaks volumes about Licht, Bowles and Baker. The trifecta of losers.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:38 am
@Doosh and Steven007: Please Go. Somewhere. Else. Just leave. This site is awesome. The Joes keep us Bucs fans informed year round. Who else does that? One of the Joe’s mentioned considering retirement just last year. I immediately broke out in hives! You two have a choice. Read the content or don’t. But please do us (most of us anyway) a solid. Just stop complaining about having free year round Bucs info.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:41 am
Evans is the greatest receiver in Bucs history. That is a fact. But he’s no longer a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. I wish him well.
All that said, he’s gone. He’ll sign a one day contract and retire a Buc but until then he is not on my favorite NFL team anymore.
Facts out of the way now let’s do opinion.
I don’t think money had anything to do with Mike signing with San Fran. I think it all boiled down to team direction and coaching. We’ve all heard and read that the Glazers are all about which way this team’s arrow is pointing. For me, Mike Evans signing with another team is a very clear indication of his thoughts on the direction the Bucs are headed in.
I think 2026 is going to be a long, sad year for us Bucs fans
March 10th, 2026 at 8:43 am
Mike knows this team is going nowhere, so he left. Its that simple.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Ok. I’ve slept on it. Baker has to feel betrayed. Bowles probably wasn’t thrilled with Mike stomping around yelling 3rd and 28. Licht is still shell shocked. Mike made his decision. Bowles and Licht are more competitive than they get credit for around here, and I know how competitive Mayfield is. Advice for Mike. Hit the gym. Get your new playbook and learn it front to back. Meet your new teammates and form rapport with them. Learn your new city and if it gets a little overwhelming give Baker a call. He’s been there before. I’m sure he’ll help you out with your new beginnings. NOT!
March 10th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Tampa could not offer what ME was looking for….
and money was not part of the equation
March 10th, 2026 at 8:45 am
Baker could be next…
March 10th, 2026 at 8:51 am
Glazers are morphing into Culverhouse.
March 10th, 2026 at 8:54 am
Now Shep has a better chance to make the team. When he gets his ring he can thank Mike for the assist. Life gives you a lemon? Make some lemonade.
March 10th, 2026 at 9:00 am
By game 6 a hammy will put him on shelf on that field in SF
He wanted to go simple we are stacked at WR
March 10th, 2026 at 9:05 am
All of you complaining have loser mentalities and know next to zero about football operations and how the game is played. Evans is 32, I love him to death, he might be my favorite all-time Buc on offense… but he can’t be counted on to stay healthy… and I’m not just talking about last year. His hamstrings will always be an issue and at 32, it will only get worse. A three year deal paying $20 mil plus per year? Odds are 50/50 Mike sees year two of that deal. They definitely aren’t paying $20m plus when he’s 35. Yes, the Bucs could have matched it… but why would they? Their receiving room is still very good and they to be smart with their money and not listen to Know-Nothing fans that randomly spurt out PAY THE MAN like there’s no salary cap and not 52 other players on a team.
As for Jamel Dean… very good CB,. Steelers don’t often make personnel mistakes in free agency. They know what they’re getting. The majority of our Know-Nothing fans wanted him gone years ago, not realizing that he’s been our best CB since Barber left. Sure, he gets hurt frequently. It is frustrating… but his play has been mostly excellent, he is a willing tackler, and a loyal teammate. Please don’t act like you wanted to keep him now.
March 10th, 2026 at 9:15 am
It would be ironic if the 49ers missed the playoffs. And fitting.
March 10th, 2026 at 9:27 am
So all those who think that Mike put himself in a better position….. Shanahan offense in playoffs, 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks
Really, 6 points. Offensive genius to game plan 6 points in the most important game of season.
Bowles is wasting peoples time and this needs to be fixed.
March 10th, 2026 at 9:31 am
The fact that Mike Evans—the greatest offensive player in franchise history—willingly took a pay cut to sign a **3-year, $42.4 million** deal with the 49ers (which averages out to just over **$14 million a year**) after the Bucs made a significantly higher “aggressive” offer is the ultimate confirmation that the Glazer era has officially failed the fans. By choosing to play for millions less in San Francisco just to escape a **Todd Bowles** regime that has run the team into the ground, Evans has essentially told the world that he’d rather lose money than spend another minute in a building that rewards coaching mediocrity while letting its legends rot. While Malcolm Glazer was a winner who would have fired any coach to keep a cornerstone icon, his sons have allowed a “country club” culture to fester, resulting in the most embarrassing exit possible: a “Buc for Life” deciding that your franchise is so toxic that it’s worth a massive financial loss just to get the hell out.
March 10th, 2026 at 9:40 am
He chose Shanahan over Bowles. Is this a surprise to anyone? Who would you choose if you wanted to win?
March 10th, 2026 at 9:42 am
Fire Todd
March 10th, 2026 at 9:48 am
All of you saying he left because of the direction of the team, (and think he should have) don’t understand loyalty. Two years ago, the team could have taken a knee and Safley gone into the playoffs. They risked it for Mikes record. That’s loyalty! …..good riddance.
March 10th, 2026 at 9:53 am
Many of u would be complaining in a year and half about ME13 if we did keep him as his skills diminish more hamstring issues and cost against the cap . It’s best for both sides in the long run. Hope he does well.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:05 am
True on that 1000 yard play Anthony, Baker and the Bucs did not have to do that for him. I would like to hear Mike talk himself, not through his agent. My guess is that he will not but put out some sort of thank you in social media to Tampa and its fans. In the old days, he would have put a full page ad in the Trib. Now he will do a presser in San Fran and probably ghost the people who cheered for him in Tampa. Man, he must have really had issues with Bowles and that garbage D and this team’s direction to cut ties as he did. But as OldSchool just said, the Niners could be griping about the guy pulling a hammy in training camp and missing opening day. We shall see, not wishing ME bad luck but his arrow is pointing down in productivity.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:16 am
ME13 numbers for 2023 & 2024 look identical to those in the Brady era. 2025 was an injury year and ME got to see the emergence of some capable young Buc receivers plus the return of CG from injury. The math for getting the ball as much as he was accustomed to just didn’t work out. San Fran, on the other hand, is desperate for receivers. Foolish for them to pay $60Mill for 3 years for a 33 year old WR. Can’t blame him for taking the money. The NFL is a multi-millionaire club where careers can end in a second.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:22 am
this whole thing is just hard to wrap your head around…
i swear, best thing to do is ignore it for now…like mike hopped on a boat to tiajuana and just never came back…like disappeared into the bermuda triangle…like scotty just beamed him up…
it’s f’in crazy what happened here…because san fran is not really an upgrade on a whole for mike…but maybe he knows as an insider, that the next few years are not buccaneer strong, or something
March 10th, 2026 at 10:23 am
Thanks, FortMyersDave . …………(Fort Myers High class of 86)
March 10th, 2026 at 10:25 am
53 guys on this team but apparently a bunch of you were only fans of one of them.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:29 am
His hamstring will be toast in SF.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:29 am
He’s gone now. Lets be done with it. Most of us understand why he left. We do not see us going far under Todd Bowles and neither does Evans. He won’t say that. But we will. Our Buc Defense was so sorry last season, it was unbelievable. Evans literally cried in that tunnel when he was yelling 3rd and 28 banging his helmet against the wall. We were too. And then the Glazers kept Bowles. That is a final straw for anybody. Good Luck Mike.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:46 am
Only $16 mill guaranteed. That tells everyone what you need to know. It’s a one year deal. Huge loss for the locker room. Thanks for everything Mike.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:48 am
Mike would have been on his 4th offensive coordinator in 4 years, with a head coach that will more than likely be fired at the end of next season, so he’d be starting with another new head coach and another new offensive coordinator, you can’t blame him for going somewhere else that is committed to winning. Glasers brought this on keeping incompetent Bowles around another year.
March 10th, 2026 at 10:57 am
Still rage harvesting I see.
March 10th, 2026 at 11:02 am
I knew he would go….no prob. I thank him for his years here. Whether he wanted to be here or not was meh? He knew….with Todd, things wont look so well. And then us on the other hand having to pay a high salary to an already highly paid WR room, and his hamstring injuries and missing playing time… it was just that combination of things. But yeah, we’ll see what happens now. If he misses half the season for injuries again…then, i mean I still love the guy, but…… might’ve dodged a 20 million dollar bullet.
March 10th, 2026 at 11:16 am
Josh Says:
March 10th, 2026 at 9:31 am
———
PREACH BROTHER! I couldn’t agree more.
March 10th, 2026 at 11:19 am
I believe Bucs fans will always be grateful for what Evans brought to this team. Let’s be honest, should the team really be willing to spend that much on a WR who’s one play from blowing out his hamstring for the whole season. I also believe this will make Baker a better QB. When Mike was on the field, he would force the ball a lot to him when he had other options open. I believe we still have three great WRs and Tez Johnson also showed so great ability when he was on the field.
March 10th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
@ Greg: Mike would have been on his 4th offensive coordinator in 4 years……..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HE “IS” ONTO ANOTHER COACH/COACHES OF HIS OWN DOING. Now he is with the third best team in it’s division instead of the best team in it’s division (see Joe’s article)
March 10th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Lt. Dan,
Pretty sure I’ve been here longer than you and been a Bucs fan since I was 8 years old in 1976.
I ain’t going anywhere.
March 10th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
It doesn’t matter what the numbers are on his contract. He wasn’t coming back here and now Evans is on a team with a defense and a really bright young coach. Not a fat, old cigar store Indian on the sideline.
March 10th, 2026 at 1:54 pm
Yeah, Alvin! 6 months ago, with Evans feminine butt on the bench, the Bucs beat the shlt out of SanFran. The fat old cigar store Indian schooled that bright young coach with a vengeance. And Baker smoked that defense that you’re swooning over for 30 points. Have you ever known anything about football, or have you spent your whole life clueless?