Jason Licht: Third-And-28 Did Not Run Mike Evans Out Of Town
March 18th, 2026
“Todd, why are people blaming you for running Mike Evans off?”
Until there is a real answer from Mike Evans himself, Joe can only speculate as to the exact reason that pushed Evans away from the Bucs for good.
(And for the people who cannot understand why this is a big deal, No. 1, Evans was one of the greatest players in Bucs history who was not pushed out the door like Warren Sapp and John Lynch were. No. 2, as recently as 14 months ago, Evans publicly professed his love for the team and how he wanted to retire playing only for the Bucs. Now, 14 months later, he took a massive pay cut not to play for Tampa Bay. That’s major. Additionally, if an organization does not find out what chased off Evans, this can happen next year, two years from now or into the future. If you have a water main leak in your yard, you don’t ignore it hoping it doesn’t ever happen again; you fix it. Frankly, this is the biggest Bucs story since Bucco Bruce Arians retired, maybe the biggest since the Bucs won the Super Bowl.)
A lot of fans are convinced Evans gave up on the Bucs when he had an understandable crashout over the Bucs giving up a first down to Atlanta on national television despite having the Dixie Chicks in a third-and-28 situation.
Good defenses and maybe good defensive coordinators never allow that to happen with a playoff berth on the line.
In a sitdown with select Tampa Bay media today, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht rejected the idea that third-and-28, or even Todd Bowles himself, sent Evans over the edge to decidedenough was enough with the Bucs.
“I feel pretty strongly that — I’ve seen that theory — a lot of people were frustrated,” Licht said. “Mike was frustrated as competitive as he is. Nothing was ever directed at [Bowles].
“I mean, probably the person that was most frustrated was Todd.”
In fact, Licht said the outburst Evans had was borderline normal in unfortunate circumstances throughout the league and it doesn’t mean the upset player wants to pull an Antonio Brown.
“Every team I have been a part of there are instances like that where players get emotional at times where it’s not as public or caught on camera,” Licht said. “[Third-and-28] had zero to do with it.”
Again, Licht referenced a “family decision” motivated Evans to bid adios to Tampa Bay.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:21 pm
More like the team completely collapsing to close the season.
3rd & 28 was just the largest example of it.
Apathy
March 18th, 2026 at 5:21 pm
Bull$hit
March 18th, 2026 at 5:22 pm
And the team sat on their hands during this off season doing minimal work. ME saw that the Bucs FO and coaches were happy with the status quo.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:22 pm
If the offense don’t turn the ball over
If they get a few 1st down on their next possession, instead of punting
There would be no 3-28
The defense was on the field for too long
March 18th, 2026 at 5:22 pm
Give it rest, Joe. He’s no longer a Buc. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s done.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:25 pm
Mike played in 8 games, was barely a participant in 7 of THOSE
March 18th, 2026 at 5:27 pm
5 straight ME posts. SMH.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:28 pm
Hey Lichtbrain-When you get canned after this season along with Bowles may I suggest you dabble in politics, because you definitely have a penchant for lying.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:28 pm
Haven’t any of you guys wanted a different job after being stuck… And you think hey, maybe it might pay a bit less, but I only live once and my happiness is more important to me than anyone or anything. God bless Mike Evans. He’s a class act. Wish him all the best in the next chapter.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:30 pm
Well it didn’t help!
March 18th, 2026 at 5:32 pm
Lakeland, Special Teams put the Defense in a jam every series by letting the opposition start at or near the 50-yard line. If the D was lucky enough to stop them, our offense was stuck with starting field position at the 10 yard-line.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:34 pm
The answer to WHY lies somewhere in between Lavonte David (if he doesn’t retire) wanting to come back to the Bucs to do the rarity and finish off his entire career as a Buc and retire here and still loving the Bucs family and Mike Evans not wanting to do the exact same and not feeling the same way as David
Both captains of the team in very similar situations that chose 2 completely different paths with an open door policy in front of them. It’s possible/probable they didn’t see eye to eye on the Bucs as a whole.
One said I’m coming back if I don’t retire and one said laters and couldn’t get farther away.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:34 pm
Some will not accept the truth if it does not fit their own personal agendas.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:37 pm
Once again Licht is not going to say. Hey yes Mike said it 3-28 made him leave. He has to defend the Organization because Mike’s actions spoke volumes. Sadly Mike was totally frustrated. The Bucs while not admitting it, hopefully internally they are acknowledging wow, maybe we should look at the whole Organization because a very talented and dedicated player just said, hey, sorry going to take less money and play with a class Organization, and Coaches , because this Organization is going the wrong way.
It is that simple .
March 18th, 2026 at 5:38 pm
Then why did he leave???
Stated two years ago WANT TO BE A BUC FOR LIFE
Then this year leaves for LESS MONEY?
But Noo it’s not Bowles
RIGHT 😉
Bet if Bowles was gone Mike would be here
March 18th, 2026 at 5:39 pm
Maybe the answer is as simple as the one we’re being told. People will sometimes read something into a situation when they don’t believe what they’re told,{which is Narcissistic}. I’m not calling anyone that but maybe the answer is private and no ones business. Maybe it was time for a change of scenery and that’s it. I appreciate Joe and others asking the questions and Licht answering but I believe it’s time to put it to rest. I think we have the answer. Do I believe the answer? Not all of it but hey, I’m done with and ready to move forward.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
I give the Bucs Credit in that THEY ATE STICKING BY THIS GUY NO MATTER WHAT
DEFEND TO THE END
BOWLES HAS SOMETHING ON SOMEONE
March 18th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
BS Licht. 3rd and 28 ran me out of town for a while….Hope you and Bowles fix our sorry defense. It was truly pitiful last season.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:41 pm
Yes it did !!! Get your head out of your ask !!
March 18th, 2026 at 5:43 pm
Where will the breaking point be with Jason ?
I don’t believe one word of that tripe and I doubt he does either.
Jason seems like a good honest man. How much more of the BS will he put up with ?
He had to live with the 1st pick debacle of Jaboo. ( It was a pick he had to make.)
He had to clean up the mess in the aftermath of the TB12/BA/BL fiasco.
And now this.
I feel bad for the man because I don’t feel any of this is his fault.
The cowards have staked him to the ant hill.
Go get a TV gig Jason and leave it in the owners lap.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:47 pm
Bucs3 Says:
March 18th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
BOWLES HAS SOMETHING ON SOMEONE
^^^^^^
Remember the Denver home game.
Bowles quote ” I had nothing to do with that.”
March 18th, 2026 at 5:52 pm
It was 3rd and 28, Baker Mayfield, Cade Otton, and Todd. There all still here and he’s not. Just like Braswell is going to shock the NFL. Mike Evans did all the shocking by leaving. Liam Cohen did the same thing.
March 18th, 2026 at 5:54 pm
Joe, why do YOU think he left? We want your opinion. You’re anonymous for goodness sake. Why do YOU think he left? We’d rather hear your opinion than the front office is spin. You clearly read these things, why aren’t you dodging this question?
March 18th, 2026 at 6:01 pm
Hugh Glazerhouse Says:
March 18th, 2026 at 5:54 pm
Joe, why do YOU think he left? We want your opinion. You’re anonymous for goodness sake.
^^^^^
That shows how much you know.
March 18th, 2026 at 6:04 pm
Too many offensive mouths to feed in Tampa. Gainwell, Irving, Otten, Godwin, Ebuka, Mcmillin, and the list goes on.
In SF you have Kittle (often hurt)
An over 30 McCaffrey. That’s it!
Evans will have little or no competition for the ball.
March 18th, 2026 at 6:04 pm
The Bucs Front Office lives in a bubble.
Whatever Jason says is bs.
Braswell gonna shock the world.
Watts is an explosive player with a high upside.
Etc, etc, etc….
Ask why the Bucs could only sign guys over 31 at the tail end of their careers?
IMO it’s because the younger D side of the ball guys think that Tampa is where your career goes to die.
And on the PR side of things….
First Ko Kieft
Then Shelton (com’on)
Now Licht.
It’s pathetic.
I don’t buy what any of them are selling.
March 18th, 2026 at 6:13 pm
NFL.com :
Evans’ willingness and apparent eagerness to join the 49ers reflected poorly on the state of the Buccaneers, the Super Bowl LV champions who have since repeatedly failed to prove they’re better than a Divisional Round exit, if that. Some saw it as a lack of confidence in coach Todd Bowles, a defensive minded veteran whose teams have skewed toward the offensive side out of necessity in recent years and collapsed down the stretch of the 2025 season, a span that included a shocking prime-time loss to Atlanta that inspired an Evans rant afterward.
hey Joe was Fred Flintstone Licht chugging a bottle of Jack Daniels during your sit-down ? sounds like he wasn’t making a lot of sense
March 18th, 2026 at 6:14 pm
This situation is building with no signs of slowing down. Soon the SF media will want juicy red meat and so will the national media.
Mike will continue to be pressed then his agent will have to say something because the SF front office will want nothing to do with it. Someone will start asking about the family aspect. Sooner or later, after continuously being asked why, Mike may crack and say it.
I only follow it here on JBF so keep us informed about the other media Joe.
Maybe it’s not that big of a deal to rest of the country.
March 18th, 2026 at 6:29 pm
Check on the guys. It has been a couple hours since a Mike Evans Post
March 18th, 2026 at 6:36 pm
Lets keep rearranging the deck chairs. Coping is ez.
March 18th, 2026 at 6:38 pm
Of course it wasn’t Todd…it was all the Assistant Coaches’ fault. The Licht spin is in…which pro sports team fires almost their whole coaching staff and keeps the guy in charge of those coaches? As Jay Glazer said: ‘How the hell does Todd not get fired?’
March 18th, 2026 at 6:41 pm
Cmon Mike
Level with the fans and tell us the truth, it shouldn’t be that hard
March 18th, 2026 at 6:51 pm
Wow this blog is obsessing over Evans leaving… he’s gone, get over it Joe
Doug Williams left
John Lynch left
Warren Sapp left.
Please move on…
March 18th, 2026 at 6:53 pm
Yea ok Jason lol
March 18th, 2026 at 6:55 pm
So JL how long are the Glazers saying we are allowed to suck like we did during the last 9 games before Bowles gets fired. 8 games, 12, Jan???
March 18th, 2026 at 6:55 pm
Because we better draft an Edge Rd 1 and not suck
March 18th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
3rd and 28.
Edge Rd 1
ILB Rd 2
CB Rd 3
So the rest of our team doesn’t leave
March 18th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
Jason Licht= NFL’s biggest gaslighter. Nobody is buying your crap buddy. Post that on your bulletin board.
Not just 3rd and 28, but 4th and 14.
March 18th, 2026 at 7:01 pm
Evans knew returning Bowles as HC, meant Ownership isn’t all in on Winning! And the Combo of Bowles and Licht are content with Division Championships in a very bad Division
March 18th, 2026 at 7:02 pm
Wait, Joe, did Evans leave?
March 18th, 2026 at 7:03 pm
“Until there is a real answer from Mike Evans himself, Joe can only speculate as to the exact reason that pushed Evans away from the Bucs for good.”
That’s part of the problem…. Endless speculation repeated over and over becomes a narrative becomes truth to those who are unable or unwilling to think for themselves.
Speculation, reading between the lines, suspecting, are all fine but when you repeat it over and over and present it as truth it’s gossip.
At least 1 Joe seems very invested in convincing everyone that Todd or the defense ran Mike off but there is really no evidence that’s the case.
Everything Mike has said on the topic is predictable talk for anyone going to a new team. What’s he supposed to say….. I wanted to come to a team where I could get more targets? I think my new team, new QB, new coach are nothing special?
March 18th, 2026 at 7:07 pm
He didn’t leave due to 3rd and 28. He left becauSe the Glazers retained a failed HC / DC
March 18th, 2026 at 7:22 pm
Keep these qoutes coming Joe, I love a good laugh! Licht is priceless! Third, and 28, I’ve seen that theory, a lot of people were frustrated, none more so than Todd. Stop, you’re killing me! My side hurts.
March 18th, 2026 at 7:26 pm
If you repeat the lie often enough, it becomes the truth. From liars and propaganda manual.
March 18th, 2026 at 7:34 pm
Yes it did
March 18th, 2026 at 7:34 pm
This horse is dead. Can we quit beating it already? There’s nothing left to beat. The guy wanted a change…end of story.
March 18th, 2026 at 7:46 pm
I miss Steve Duemig and Chris Thomas NOT afraid to say and tell it like it is!
OBP needs to at least here the truth
and folks with integrity and a platform begin to tell the story!
If not for the lucky pluck of BA out of retirement and The Goat coming to Tampa the skid from post Gruden would still be intact!
This is not a good football organization!
March 18th, 2026 at 7:49 pm
It seems some of you are missing the point…
If THIS isn’t danced in a continuous and NON STOP manner then some of you (a very small and Johnny come lately portion) will be quite pleased to find a way to be Thrilled to get your hero ” the consummate a Well Proven LOSER “, Todd “the BOZO” Bowles stinking up the place to Guarantee a long term extended stay in what the “Long term, have had quite Enough of the clown THANK YOU” fans know WELL as the famous and No Longer Fabled, “DEN OF DEPRESSION”
Now you new comers might be under the illusion that that term is in some twisted minds,, a romantic type of title or term, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU IT IS NOT!!!
Todd “BOZO” Bowles was NEVER ment to keep the job. He NEVER ONCE EARNED IT and in the minds of most fans was merely a temp since his credentials were SAD AT BEST before Arians gave his buddy a break and then gave BOZO Instructions on how to best run a defense (well proven that Arians was the one running the actual defense since az soon as Arians left the head coach job, the defense almost immediately dropped into the lower tear of the league standings and has MAINTAINED a POOR PERFORMANCE RATING ever since the unqualified temp took over) You see, the glazers are cheap skates and since they Really Don’t understand “sports”, they didn’t think an actual qualified head coach, OC, or DC was necessary to WIN!
So….. YES! I for one give This Joe a Standing ovation for NOT letting the “unexperienced” and weak desired new fans Pretend that they even have a CLUE as to WHAT it meant, and as to WHY, IT’S A GIGANTIC DEAL TO THE FANS WHOM HAVE HELD ALL OF BUCCANEER FANDOM UP OFF THE GROUND, BEST WE COULD SINCE INCEPTION!!!
And JUST AS SOON AS BOZO is LONG GONE, then “maybe” the Heart and Soul of Buccaneer Fandom “might” start to believe the next miracle will happen and the Glazer children will SELL to an owner who “ACTUALLY CARES” (like their father whom bought the franchise and is now passed away) about WINNING rather than becoming a “Piggly Wiggly” franchise!
So, good for you Joe. NEVER let this happen again! What an embarrassment!
March 18th, 2026 at 7:51 pm
Mike left for some combination of any of 10 reasons. Family wasn’t one of them. It is just the easiest to not divulge any of the details. You know, it’s confidential. The problem is not that Mike left. It is the unaccountable, self-indulgent narcissists left behind running the team. There’s a lot of dirty laundry to wash before the next roster comes for training camp. They can’t help but smell it.
March 18th, 2026 at 7:58 pm
Also warm beer is better than cold…..
3rd and 28 wasn’t the only reason; but we all know it was a factor
March 18th, 2026 at 7:58 pm
Horse crap.
March 18th, 2026 at 8:00 pm
Jason Licht IS Lying straight through his teeth. What else is he gonna say. “A family matter”? W the actual F is he smoking?? Mike’s family live in TEXAS!
3rd and 28! Real Fans WILL NEVER FORGET what the glazers ownership group has done to the ENTIRE fan base AND the players whom SADLY are waisting their limit time with this LAME DUCK LOSER of a temp AT BEST, instead of a REAL head coach!
Bowls LOST THE TEAM! THAT’S THE REAL TRUTH! 3rd and 28!!!
March 18th, 2026 at 8:04 pm
Ah yes, San Francisco, the famous family friendly city in world. All the moral values you would want to raise a family in. NOT
COME UP WITH ANOTHER ONE LICHT, this does not pass the smell test
March 18th, 2026 at 8:09 pm
Blah BLAH BLAH. Yada yada YADA.
Have you been whining forever or just since Todd came along?
March 18th, 2026 at 8:13 pm
Censorship ???
March 18th, 2026 at 8:13 pm
MODERATE IT
YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED FOR BEING SHILLS FOR JL AND TEH BUCS
YOU ARE COMPLICIT IN THE LIES _ YOU SUCK OUT LOUD
YOU ARE SCARED TO LOSE YOUR STEAK DINNERS _ EMBARRASSING AF
JOE’S ARE LIARS
March 18th, 2026 at 8:24 pm
@ Bakerfan Says: Speaking of the smell test ME13 needs to download a few apps to help him navigate SF. SnapCrap and the SF poop map. lol
March 18th, 2026 at 8:25 pm
ROTFLMAO!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 What steak dinner?
The fact you think Joe is carrying Todd Bowles’ water is hilarious. And no, Joe has no desire to run off a GM who just two weeks ago won a Super Bowl. It’s called street cred.
March 18th, 2026 at 8:25 pm
If the Bucs had a decent backup QB, Mayfield would not have been out on the field during key games after the bye and it is possible that this competent back up or a healthier Baker would have been able to do more with the offense after the bye. Bowles would not have taken over the O and demand 30 rushes in Carolina, the O might have scored a few more points a game and additionally, Bucs would have been able to hold a 14 point lead with 9 minutes left instead of allowing Bowles’ putrid D to go 3rd and 28. The idea to roll with Bridgewater waas idiotic and Trask would not have been much better as he could not even crack the ATL active roster after Penix was put on the IR. I am not a fan of Bowles and thougght he should have been held accountable as his D stinks and his in game management skills are awful but Jason has not been perfect either. Why does he get a pass and if 3rd and 28 was not why Mike left what was it then: the way Jason is running the team, Baker, too many mouths to feed on the O, the trainers let Mike down????? Nah, Bowles is the reason. The Glazers chose Todd over Mike and while Mike may be in decline and injury prone, he was bent that the Glazers retained Bowles as the dude is a nice guy but very mediocre leader.
March 18th, 2026 at 8:33 pm
“‘ ROTFLMAO!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 What steak dinner?
The fact you think Joe is carrying Todd Bowles’ water is hilarious. And no, Joe has no desire to run off a GM who just two weeks ago won a Super Bowl. It’s called street cred.@
Youz 2 Moes can fool yourselves but you can’t fool your readers!
Are you beholden to your readers
Or
To OBP ?
March 18th, 2026 at 8:37 pm
Jason You are so right ! It was a dumb jock salad of worst def front 7 in the nfl, Your inability to do your job and Coens ability over Bowles , your assessment to hire a not so ready offensive coordinator, and waste the whole year,, and of coarse 3 rd and 28 but not that they gave it up. It’s that the fan base and the rest of the NFL wasn’t surprised.