Mike Evans Was Interested In Joining Buffalo Bills In NFL Free Agency, WR Says

To begin the offseason, the Buffalo Bills had one obvious goal, and that was to improve their wide receiver corps.

While they did just that through a significant trade, the Bills may have had the opportunity to add an even bigger fish. Mike Evans said he was interested in playing in Buffalo during his introductory press conference on Wednesday, which came after the veteran superstar signed a free-agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

“So I was looking at [San Francisco], Buffalo Bills, teams that needed a No. 1 wide receiver,” said Evans, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I liked this place. [San Francisco] was my No. 1 spot on my own [research]."

It seems like Evans wanted to join the 49ers, but his public expression of prior interest in the Bills is intriguing and makes you wonder if Buffalo could have signed him.

The comparison

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) makes a catch as Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (2) defends during the fourth quarter at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Evans wound up signing a three-year, $42.4 million deal, including $16.3M guaranteed, with the 49ers. For comparison, when the Bills traded for DJ Moore, they agreed to pay his fully guaranteed 2026 salary of $23.5 million along with further guarantees, and it also cost them a second-round pick.

Now, it should be noted that Moore is about to turn 29 and Evans is about to turn 33. But as far as production is concerned, Evans is in another stratosphere than Moore.

Evans is a two-time second-team All-Pro and has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times. Before his 2025 season, which ended after eight games due to injury, Evans had rattled off 11 straight 1,000-plus yard seasons to begin his career. That included a high mark of 1,321 in 2016, when he recorded a career-high 96 receptions.

Before joining the 49ers, Evans had previously spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have had a revolving door at QB since his arrival. Before his injury-plagued 2025 season, he had never played fewer than 14 games in a season.

Moore has also shown an ability to produce with a multitude of players throwing him the football, but not at the same incredible rate as Evans. Moore recorded four 1,000-plus yard seasons between 2019 and 2023, but has failed to reach the mark each of the past two seasons.

He came close in ’24 with 966 yards, but finished the ’25 campaign with a disappointing 50 catches for 682 yards. Moore has never been selected as a member of the All-Pro team or named to the Pro Bowl.

This or that

Evans would not have been a massive upgrade over Moore in terms of talent. However, Evans offers a much more physical presence on the outside, which the Bills were looking for this offseason, and he wouldn’t have required Buffalo to relinquish any draft capital to sign him. He is also priced lower than Moore on average annual value.

Evans' recent injury history is a concern, and there is also the age factor, but he is a monstrous 6-foot-5, 31 pounds compared to Moore’s 6-foot, 213-pound frame. While that may give Moore increased versatility throughout the formation, Evans would have offered a distinct matchup advantage on the boundary simply based on his ability to outmuscle opposing defensive backs.

So, at the end of the day, which player was the better option depends on what the Bills valued more—a big target who could help them win immediately, or a more dynamic piece who can help them more so in the future.

They appear to have preferred the latter, but for my money, I would have rather had Evans.