Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has imposed a Week 1 deadline on his side to offer him a new contract or face losing the player next year if no agreement is reached by all parties.
The 30-year-old, who was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, is now entering the final year of a five-year deal that he signed back in 2018, one that was worth $82.5 million, and is now looking for confirmation about his long-term future at Tampa.
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In the three seasons that Brady was with the Buccaneers, they ran through to the postseason on every occasion, winning the Super Bowl at the climax of the 2020 season, but prior to the NFL veteran’s arrival, Tampa Bay was out of the playoff picture for 12 straight years and no doubt they’ll want to avoid any period of similar poor form.
Evans has made it clear, via his representatives, that he wants things sorted out as soon as possible, with Day 1 Sports and Entertainment stating that their player:
“wants the next phase of his career to be with an organization who wants him and wants him to help win a Super Bowl.”
“Which is why we have informed the Buccaneers organization that we will discontinue contract discussions as of September 9, 2023,”
“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,”
“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.” Day 1 added.
His agent, Deryk Gilmore, added;
“Despite our efforts over the past two years, and the professionalism of Bucs General Manager, Jason Licht, and Assistant General Manager, Mike Greenberg, we have not received an offer to stay in Tampa,”
Evans is known to want to continue his time at Tampa Bay and no doubt just wants some assurances on his future, and he stated in a recent comment on the matter;
“It’s no secret that I want to be a Buc for life,” he said. “It’s rare for players to stay, especially this day and age, to stay on a team for as long as I have. I want to just finish here.”
As far as the playing side is concerned, the Buccaneers must be happy with what Evans has to offer. After all, we are talking about a player who has managed nine seasons in a row of 1000+ yards, something no other player has managed from the start of their NFL careers.
Last season’s total of 1124 regular season yards was his best display since 2018, and one would imagine that he’s earned some guarantees about his future at the Raymond James Stadium.