When the Buccaneers and wide receiver Mike Evans failed to agree on a contract extension before the start of the season, it opened the door to Evans’ possible departure from Tampa as a free agent this offseason.
Sunday’s 31-23 loss to the Lions ended the Bucs’ season and it provided a last chance for Evans to remind the team of what he brings to the table. Evans had eight catches for 147 yards and a touchdown and the performance joined an already impressive decade of work on the list of reasons why Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles hopes that Evans will be sticking around.
“I don’t even think about it. I don’t like to be asked about it. I don’t want to know about it and I hope to hell that does not happen,” Bowles said of Evans’ possible departure, via Greg Auman of Fox Sports.
Evans had 79 catches for 1,255 yards and a league-high 13 touchdowns during the regular season, so it’s not hard to see why Bowles would want to be sure the team keeps him in the fold for the 2024 season.