The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to make sure to get their star wide receiver back on the team.
Mike Evans gave them an ultimatum earlier in the season when they couldn’t secure a contract extension, and things haven’t changed that much so far.
According to a report by Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, it is highly unlikely that both parties will agree on an extension before today’s soft deadline.
The #Buccaneers had a soft deadline today to get an extension done with Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans, but both sides remain far apart, sources say. Tampa Bay is set to take on $7.4M in 2024 dead money by not getting a deal done today. @BleacherReport
Talks will continue, but my… pic.twitter.com/fNJJFuRceH
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 19, 2024
He states that the sides are far apart on talks, and the team will absorb over $7 million in dead cap money if they can’t strike a deal before the clock strikes zero.
With that in mind, Evans is likely to test free agency, barring a last-minute turn of events.
Evans has topped the 1,000-receiving yard every single year since he made it to the league, and he has a legitimate chance to become the greatest wide receiver in franchise history.
He’s done it with multiple guys at the quarterback position, and outside of Tom Brady and his last season with Baker Mayfield, he has had to deal with subpar play at that spot more often than not.
Evans is a perennial physical mismatch, especially in the end zone, and multiple teams would be more than willing to give him a lucrative deal, even at this point in his career.
He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down and he’s been mostly healthy through his playing days, and the Bucs simply cannot afford to lose their best skill player, especially if they’re also trying to get Baker Mayfield locked in for years to come.
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