Mike Evans remains with Buccaneers on two-year, $52M deal; quarter of NFL teams had interest in WR, per report

Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans, widely considered one of the most sought-after free agents in his position, has opted to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times, agreed to a two-year contract, as reported by CBS Sports’ lead NFL insider, Jonathan Jones. The deal is valued at $52 million, with $35 million guaranteed, according to Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore.

In a statement to CBS Sports, Gilmore shared, “Mike just called me last night and said I want to be a BUC for Life. Myself and Darren Jones have worked hard to get this deal done!” Evans’ new contract brings his average annual salary to $26 million, making him the fourth-highest-paid receiver, following Tyreek Hill ($30 million APY), Davante Adams ($28 million APY), and Cooper Kupp ($26.7 million APY).

Despite initial rankings, former NFL agent and CBS Sports contributor Joel Corry argues that Evans’ contract is, in fact, the second-highest average per year in the league due to inflated back-end values in Hill’s and Adams’ deals. If Evans had entered free agency, numerous teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons, were reportedly interested in acquiring his services.

Selected seventh overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Evans has exceeded expectations throughout his impressive 10-year career. He holds a unique record as the only player in NFL history to achieve 1,000 or more receiving yards in each of his first 10 seasons. Another 1,000-yard season in 2024 would tie him with legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice for the longest streak in league history.

Evans boasts several franchise records for the Buccaneers, including most catches (762), receiving yards (11,680, the most in the NFL since 2014), and receiving touchdowns (94). Despite entering his 30s, he is coming off an outstanding 2023 season, co-leading the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns and recording 79 catches and 1,255 receiving yards.

By securing this deal before the start of free agency, Evans ensures he remains the longest-tenured receiver with his current team, the Super Bowl LV champion Buccaneers. This move also enhances the team’s chances of retaining Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield.

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