Mike Evans Explains Why He Left Buccaneers for 49ers in Free Agency

Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Evans opened up about his move to the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans (5) before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-5 this season after dropping their most recent game to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. It's the first season they've played in 12 years without wide receiver Mike Evans, who became a franchise legend with the Bucs throughout his tenure in Tampa Bay.

Evans, though? He joined up with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency this offseason, and the move has certainly paid off so far. The 49ers are undefeated at 5-0 and Evans is producing, with 24 receptions for 326 yards and three touchdowns so far this year.

Evans recently spoke on the reason why he made his move to the 49ers, and while his comments about the Bucs aren't outwardly said, he certainly seemed to imply a few things about Tampa Bay and where it's at as an organization.

Mike Evans Speaks on Free Agency Move to 49ers

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans (5) during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Evans said in an interview with KNBR that he feels "rejuvenated" by his time in San Francisco, but there are a few other things of note he talked about that are interesting.

“This team rejuvenated me and probably added a few more years to my career," Evans said, per the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. "They had everything I needed and checked every box. They’re trying to win now. The quarterback, great skill players, great defense, great coaching staff, and lastly, a great organization.”

The Bucs are not directly mentioned here. However, he says that the 49ers "had everything he needed and checked every box", and that San Francisco is "trying to win now" — it isn't hard to assume that Evans could be implying that Tampa Bay did not have those things at the time that he left the organization in the offseason.

There are plenty of reasons Evans could have left Tampa Bay. He was likely set to get a decreased target share with players like Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan on the roster. The 49ers had certainly been more successful over the long term than the Bucs were, and he'd simply played for the Bucs for a very long time and could have been looking for a change at the tail end of his career.

There certainly seemed to be a few things left unsaid in how he described the 49ers in this interview. But whatever the reason, Evans is not a Buccaneers player anymore. In his absence, Tampa Bay has failed to establish a true No. 1 wide receiver, and while the offense has a multitude of problems, they certainly have suffered for it.

The Bucs won't play the 49ers this season unless both teams make it to the playoffs. That's looking almost impossible for Tampa Bay right now, and they desperately need to win their upcoming Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers next Sunday to stay alive in the NFC South.

Evans and the 49ers will play an NFC South team of their own when they face the Atlanta Falcons on the road at 1 p.m. in Week 7.

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