Star wide receiver Mike Evans is leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ seventh overall draft pick in 2014 and the first-ever draft pick by Bucs general manager Jason Licht, Evans has spent 12 seasons with the franchise, becoming the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 662 points.
As their “X” receiver, he has been their true deep ball, big-play threat for chunk yardage, and their top red zone scoring weapon, on top of serving as a mentor to younger teammates like Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka.
Evans’ 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards is tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history. It was a record he set out to gain full possession of in the 2025 season — and had Rice’s blessing to do so — before a broken collarbone in Week 7 landed him on injured reserve. He made it back for Week 15, however, delivering a 132-yard receiving performance in a 28-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Evans, 32, was disappointed in the Bucs failing to make the postseason for the first time since their 2020 Super Bowl LV win. Once he made the decision not to retire this offseason, it was important for him to determine where he felt he had his best chance to compete for another Super Bowl, carefully evaluating the quarterback position, the offensive coordinator and what his role would be.
