Former Buccaneers WR Mike Evans Heaps Praise on New 49ers QB Brock Purdy

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a franchise legend in Mike Evans during free agency, seeing him head to the San Francisco 49ers to play out the rest of his career. It's a natural cycle that happens to plenty of franchise legends, but based on some of Evans' other comments, it feels as if he thinks the 49ers offer him a better chance to win a Super Bowl than he would by staying in Tampa Bay.

Evans has continued to speak on his new team, and he had some words about his new signal caller in San Francisco, Brock Purdy. Here's what he had to say about Purdy after leaving the Buccaneers and his prior quarterback, Baker Mayfield, in free agency:

Mike Evans has strong words for new QB Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) warms up before the start of the second half against the Seattle Seahawks | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Evans believes that Purdy could be a Super Bowl champion and even a potential NFL MVP, per NBC Sports 49ers.

Mike Evans on Brock Purdy:

"He's a true professional. Really, really underrated player. I feel like I could help him out a lot and get him where he wants to go... Super Bowl champion, potential MVP."

(via @NBCS49ers) pic.twitter.com/OLAgfZ04KQ
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) March 15, 2026

"He's a true professional. Really, really underrated player. I feel like I could help him out a lot and get him where he wants to go," Evans said. "Super Bowl champion, potential MVP."

This could be a very easy thing to read into as a Buccaneers fan, especially when it comes to comparing Purdy to Mayfield. That being said, Evans has said plenty of great things about Mayfield in the past, and it's likely the main reason Evans is saying these things about Purdy now is that he's excited to play for a new team in a new environment.

Mayfield himself looked like an MVP candidate to start the year last year, leading the Bucs to a 6-2 record before their bye week. His play dropped off pretty considerably after the bye week, however, and the Bucs ended up finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs entirely. Because Mayfield has shown the ability to play consistently good football, especially in 2024, his dip in play has largely been attributed to the injuries he suffered during the course of the year last year.

It's impossible to say exactly what Evans' thought process was in leaving the Bucs (likely for less money than he could have gotten in Tampa Bay) to play for the 49ers. He reportedly had a list of the things he wanted to see in his new team, and that list included a premier quarterback, so he certainly thinks Purdy fits that bill.

Regardless, it would be hard to believe he doesn't think much of Mayfield, who threw him 27 touchdowns since coming to Tampa Bay and helped him get an 11th-straight 1,000-yard season in 2024.

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