Will Mike Evans’ ultimatum work or will the Tampa Bay Buccaneers refuse to give him an extension?
With the star WR heading into the final year of his contract, it’s understandable that he’d like clarity on his future. The problem is he might not get it.
The practice of players holding out on their teams in order to force contract negotiations is becoming increasingly common. In the latest episode, we’ve got one of the league’s best in his position trying to force things through with his team. Unfortunately, we’re not sure it’s going to work.
What’s the deal with the Bucs and Mike Evans
If you were to do even a casual search as to who the top wide receivers have been in the NFL over the past decade, it’s almost certain that you will find Mike Evans’ name on every single list. Across the nine seasons that the wide receiver has been in the league, he has pushed past 1,000 receiving yards in each and every single one of them. In total, Evans has registered 683 receptions for 10,425 yards and 81 touchdowns. As you can probably imagine those numbers have garnered him with some honors such as four Pro Bowl appearances and an All-Pro second-team selection. This is all to say that the Bucs have most definitely benefitted from his contribution, which brings us to the present.
At 30 years old, Evans is about to embark on the final season of a five-year, $82.5 million contract extension that he signed back in 2018, and is currently looking for a new deal. To date, there has been no agreement between him and the franchise which has now resulted in Evans making a play. According to his agent’s statement on Friday, the pass-catcher intends to end negotiations with the Buccaneers if there is no deal in place by the day before the coming season starts. Indeed, agent Deryk Gilmore stated that Evans has yet to receive a contract offer from the franchise, such that “the ball is in the owner’s court.”
So, what happens with Mike Evans next?
In all fairness to the Bucs, the team is still very much in the process of rebuilding after the departure of the legendary Tom Brady. With that in mind, it’s actually understandable that the front office hasn’t jumped at the idea of paying a player who is already 30 years old a sizeable chunk of change for the next few years, regardless of how good he is. On the other hand, Evans as we’ve already established is actually very good, and so he’s got every right to play a little hardball with the franchise. At this point, we’re not sure how this one ends up, but a trade is probably the best option for everybody involved.