Mike Evans makes shocking move to 49ers, agent explains Bucs legend's decision

The Glazer family, owners of the Buccaneers, released a statement after Evans' decision to find a new challenge outside Tampa Bay. 

The statement concluded by saying the family and team look forward to honoring Evans to "celebrate his eventual Hall of Fame career."Evans' agent, Deryk Gilmore, released a statement on his client's behalf after making the decision. 

"Mike has tremendous love and respect for the Buccaneers organization, the Glazer family, the coaches, his teammates, and especially the fans in Tampa Bay who have supported him since the day he was drafted. Tampa will always be home to him, and he is deeply proud of everything they accomplished together."

Gilmore added that the Bucs "made it clear they would have loved for Mike to finish his career in Tampa," where he would have been only the fourth player in franchise history to spend his entire career in Tampa Bay. 

"Mike Evans' decision to leave Tampa was never about money," Gilmore added. "The Buccaneers were extremely aggressive in their pursuit and presented a very strong offer, demonstrating how much they value him and everything he has meant to the franchise."

Now, Evans joins a Kyle Shanahan-run offense, which was always expected to add a wide receiver this offseason. Evans immediately fills in as Brock Purdy's top pass-catching option, and more moves could come with Jauan Jennings also in free agency. 

For the Buccaneers, they made moves in recent seasons to shore up their wide receivers, including first-round pick Emeka Egbuka drafted out of Ohio State in 2025. He had a red-hot start to his rookie season before cooling off a bit. Jalen McMillan was a factor when he returned healthy last season, and veteran Chris Godwin is also a trusty target for quarterback Baker Mayfield.