Mike Evans didn’t exactly spell it out, but the message was there.
The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver, now with the San Francisco 49ers, said his new situation has him feeling “rejuvenated” after leaving the only NFL home he had known for 12 years. The move has worked out well on the field, too: San Francisco is 5-0, and Evans has opened the season with 24 catches for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
Speaking to KNBR, Evans laid out why the 49ers made sense for him in free agency.
“This team rejuvenated me and probably added a few more years to my career," Evans said, per the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. "They had everything I needed and checked every box.
They’re trying to win now. The quarterback, great skill players, great defense, great coaching staff, and lastly, a great organization.”
He never mentioned Tampa Bay directly, but the contrast was hard to miss. Evans made clear that San Francisco offered the full package, and his emphasis on a team “trying to win now” left room to wonder what he felt was missing elsewhere when he chose to move on.
There were obvious basketball- wait, football reasons behind the switch, too. With players like Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan on the Buccaneers roster, Evans was likely headed for a smaller target share.
He also spent a long time in Tampa Bay and could simply have wanted a change this late in his career. And over the long haul, the 49ers have had more success than the Bucs.
Whatever was said out loud, and whatever was left unsaid, the result is the same: Evans is no longer in Tampa Bay. Without him, the Buccaneers have yet to settle on a true No. 1 receiver, and their offense has taken a hit in the process.
That absence looms even larger with the way the season has gone. Tampa Bay is 1-5 after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and the Bucs badly need a win against the Carolina Panthers next Sunday in Week 7 just to keep themselves alive in the NFC South.
The Buccaneers won’t see Evans and the 49ers unless both clubs reach the playoffs, and that looks like a long shot for Tampa Bay right now. San Francisco, meanwhile, gets its own NFC South matchup in Week 7 when it faces the Atlanta Falcons on the road at 1 p.m.
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