Pro Bowl wideout Mike Evans informed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he wants a new contract before the team plays Week 1 of the 2023 NLF season. If he doesn’t receive one by then, Evans and his representatives will “discontinue contract discussions.”
Evans made his request public via a statement released by his agent, Deryk Gilmore. According to Gilmore, the Bucs are yet to make an offer to his client “despite our efforts over the past two years.”
“We have been working on extending Mike’s career with the Bucs for over a year, and we want the fans to know this is not a tactic, and the ball is in the owner’s court,” Gilmore added. “That said, we are giving the Bucs until the start of the regular season to make him a Buc for Life, and if that cannot happen, 100 percent of Mike’s focus will be on football and his future and where he can continue to make an impact.”
Evans signed his most recent deal in 2018 when he inked a five-year, $82.5 million extension. He is currently entering the final year of that contract, which comes with a base salary of $13 million. The 30-year-old clearly feels he is underpaid in comparison to other top receivers around the league and wants to change that.
Mike Evans has been one of the league’s most consistent wide receivers since being drafted by the Buccaneers with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his nine seasons as a pro while making four Pro Bowls. Evans also helped the Bucs win a Super Bowl in the 2020 season.
