Star wide receiver Mike Evans has set a Week 1 deadline to receive a new contract with the Buccaneers.
The Tampa Bay captain and record-setting wideout is entering the final season of a five-year, $82.5 million extension signed in March 2018. He received a $1.5 million roster bonus in March and will earn a $13 million base salary this season.
His representatives at Day 1 Sports and Entertainment said in a news release Friday that Evans “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,” the agency said.
Tampa Bay opens the season on Sept. 10 against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.
Evans, 30, is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and the only player in NFL history to begin a career with nine consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He won Super Bowl LV with the Bucs and is by far the franchise’s all-time leader in catches (683), receiving yards (10,425) and touchdown receptions (81).
Agent Deryk Gilmore told ESPN that the Buccaneers don’t want two wide receivers earning more than $20 million per season. Chris Godwin is entering the second year of a three-year, $60 million deal.
Quarterback Tom Brady’s retirement in February brought a $35 million dead-cap hit and put the franchise nearly $60 million over the cap. General manager Jason Licht was asked Thursday about how realistic an extension for Evans is considering the team’s salary cap situation even after parting with numerous veterans this offseason.
“There (are) a few things that we can do,” Licht said. “We have some ideas of what we can do for that, and obviously, we want to keep that between us. There are a few things we can do.”
Evans has said he wants to remain with Tampa Bay for his entire career.
“It’s no secret that I want to be a Buc for life,” he said last month. “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.”
Day 1 said Evans has not received any offers to stay with the Bucs.
“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,” the agency said. “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.”
Only Hall of Fame receivers Jerry Rice (14) and Randy Moss (10) have more 1,000-yard seasons than Evans.
–Field Level Media
