ESPN3 Minute Read
Why did the Bucs decide to make Baker Mayfield the starter?
Jenna Laine breaks down how the Buccaneers came to the decision of naming Baker Mayfield the starter for Week 1 vs. the Vikings.
Mike Evans has set a Week 1 deadline to receive a new contract from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with his representation indicating the wide receiver will look to play elsewhere in 2024 if no deal is reached.
Evans’ representation, Day 1 Sports and Entertainment, said in a release Friday that the wide receiver “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.
The Buccaneers open the regular season Sept. 10 at the Minnesota Vikings.
Evans is entering the final season of a five-year, $82.5 million extension he signed in March 2018. He is set to to make a base salary of $13 million and received a $1.5 million roster bonus in March. His current deal includes three void years for 2024 to 2026.
Day 1 said in its release that Evans has not received a new offer to stay in Tampa Bay.
“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.”
Evans, a four-time Pro Bowler, has posted nine straight 1,000-yard seasons during his career with the Buccaneers, who drafted him No. 7 overall in 2014.
