The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look very different this season following Tom Brady’s retirement and the release of Leonard Fournette.
However, one name who has been a constant for the franchise since being drafted is wide receiver Mike Evans.
That won’t change this season, though with the 29-year-old entering the final year of his contract, questions have swirled over whether he’ll be part of the Bucs for years to come.
Buccaneers want to keep Evans
With the start of the 2023 NFL regular season just around the corner, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht has stated he wants Evans to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.
“I can’t see Mike playing anywhere else. I hope and think we can figure something out so he can retire a Buc. We want Mike to be here long term,” said Licht as reported by The Atheltic’s Dan Pompei.
The news will likely be music to the ears of Buccaneers fans, with reports suggesting the two parties have been in talks over a new deal.
Evans has been a key figure for the franchise since being drafted seventh overall out of Texas A&M back in 2014.
Since then, the wide receiver has finished with 1,000-yard campaigns in each of his nine seasons in the NFL. He’s also made the Pro-Bowl four times.
Last year he finished with 77 catches for 1,124 yards and six touchdowns.
Things will look different this season however, as last year Evans caught passes from Brady, who many consider the greatest quarterback of all-time.
This season the team will start one of Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask, though a final decision has yet to be made.
