When Will Tampa Bay Buccaneers Star Mike Evans Resume Contract Negotiations?
DETROIT — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have closed the book on their 2023 NFL Season after falling 31-23 to the Detroit Lions in this weekend’s Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, but the work is just beginning.
There’s no real break in the NFL and as the Buccaneers are sent packing for the offseason general manager Jason Licht and his staff have the unpleasant task of deciding which contracts are retainable and which aren’t. On top of it, they have to decide what to do with pending free agents as they seek to keep the franchise at the top of the NFC South Division in 2024.
One of those expiring contracts, arguably the most important, belongs to star receiver Mike Evans who took time out after the game to discuss when he thought negotiations might pick back up.
“Probably soon,” Evans said when asked when his situation might be resolved. “Might be after the Super Bowl we’ll assess everything and then hopefully a deal can’t get done where we all can come back.”
Tampa Bay has until 4 p.m. ET to get a deal done with Evans or face the prospect of placing the franchise tag on the record-setting receiver.
Of course, complicating matters further are the expiring contracts of other impact players like safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and quarterback Baker Mayfield. Both of whom could find themselves targets of the franchise tag as well, assuming Evans’ contract gets done in time.
Winfield Jr. has become one of the best safeties in the NFL today and Mayfield shared the sentiment of his receiver who said he wants both of them back with the Buccaneers next season.
“I knew me and Baker would be a good fit. I like to think I’m a good fit with any quarterback but especially a guy that’s really talented and super positive, great energy, fights to the end, mobile, all of that.”
As the team vacated the visitor’s locker room at Ford Field Sunday night they all echoed the same opinion about Mayfield. Their comments painted a picture of a leader who knows how to rally his teammates, lead, and deserves to be back next season.
Mayfield himself shared some thoughts on what the franchise has meant to him this past season after dealing with a nomadic life in 2022 and is hopeful he’ll get another year of what Evans has experienced since being drafted in 2014.
“It’s meant a lot to me and my family,” Evans said. “I didn’t grow up a Bucs fan or anything like that, but we’re lifelong Bucs fans no matter what happens.”
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