With Michael Pittman likely to receive the franchise tag, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will receive a massive contract in free agency. Despite being on the older side, the 10-time 1,000-yard receiver is easily the best receiver projected to hit the open market, and teams will pay up for his services.
Quarterback is the most important position in the game, so it stands to reason that the player responsible for making the passer’s life easier is second or third in team importance. Top free-agent wide receivers always land a massive contract, and the same should be true of Mike Evans. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that the good-but-not-great Christian Kirk earned a four-year, $72 million contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Mike Evans is better than Christian Kirk, but the latest reports from NFL Network’s Jeffri Chadhia state that the wide receiver wants ridiculous money. Per Chadhia, the five-time Pro Bowler is looking for a deal averaging $25 million per year.
Mike Evans Wants $25 Million Per Year In His Next Contract
As of this posting, only four receivers have a higher per-year contract than what Mike Evans is asking for: Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, and A.J. Brown. While Evans is still a good playmaker, it’s safe to wonder how many years he has left in his tank. The former first-round pick will be playing in his age-31 season, and he is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning.
If this is what Mike Evans can get on the open market, then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a tough time matching that contract. The team currently has $43.9 million in salary cap space, but they need to set some money aside for Antoine Winfield and Baker Mayfield.
Chances are, the Buccaneers aren’t willing to give up that kind of money, but some other team might. If anyone is going to meet Mike Evans contract demands, it will probably be one of these five teams.
Best Team Fits
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are going to look a lot different in 2024. With Justin Fields almost certainly gone, Caleb Williams will take over a revamped roster. With nearly $80 million in cap space and two first-round picks, the Bears have the resources to get to the playoffs in the upcoming season and make a deep playoff run in 2025. Seeing as they’ll have Williams on a cost-controlled contract, they can afford to overspend on a veteran like Mike Evans.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have $100 million in cap space following the J.C. Jackson release, and they should use most of that money to address the offensive side of the ball. With no starting-caliber tackles, tight ends, wide receivers, or quarterbacks, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo is building from the ground up. This team will draft a quarterback with the third-overall pick, but that young passer will have a heck of a time succeeding without proper weapons. Mike Evans is the best option available, and they can have the financial resources to hand out a massive contract on a player who probably has two or three good years left in his tank.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers do not have the same financial liberty as the Bears and Patriots, but they might still be the ones to hand out a big contract to Mike Evans. Bryce Young needs to show some signs of life in Year 2, and he won’t be able to do that without a dramatically improved supporting cast. Evans is still one of the better receivers in the league, and his familiarity with head coach Dave Canales will only help the veteran make an impact right out of the gate.
Houston Texans
Why not? The Houston Texans don’t necessarily need another wide receiver, but they have $70 million in cap space and might as well use some of it on a Mike Evans contract. C.J. Stroud set the world on fire in Year 1, and combining his talents with Evans could create the best passing attack in football. With Tank Dell recovering from an ACL injury, Evans’ presence will allow the second-year pro to slowly ease his way back into game shape.
Kansas City Chiefs
This one is admittedly a bit of a stretch, as the Chiefs will have a tough time finding the cap space for a Mike Evans contract. However, if they find a way to make the money work, this pairing should power Kansas City to their third Super Bowl in as many seasons. The Chiefs desperately need a wide receiver capable of catching the ball, as Rashee Rice is the only proven player at the position. Having Evans as a perimeter threat with Rice and Travis Kelce working the middle of the field is hard to defend on its own, but it becomes borderline unstoppable with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.
Main Photo: Junfu Han – USA Today Sports
