After 12 glorious seasons, wide receiver Mike Evans finally said goodbye to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After becoming a free agent, the San Francisco 49ers signed him. The news has received mixed reactions from the fans, with some angry, some sad, and others agreeing with the move. However, a former teammate of Evans and Buccaneers legend wrote a message for the fans after the incident, relaying a strong feeling that he wishes them to experience as well.

“Mike Evans gave the Bucs and the city of Tampa his HOF career,” wrote Gerald McCoy on March 13, via X. “He made NFL history on our field, he caught his 100th TD on our field, he won a SB for the city on our field. He was selfless in every way. Selfless with his teammates, org and the city!! We couldn’t have asked for much else from him. Allow him to finally be about MIKE EVANS!! Which he never has been. Him wearing a different jersey will never take away from the fact he IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE A BUC!! Love yall!!”

Gerald McCoy is a first-rounder who spent nine seasons in Tampa Bay. Having shared the field with the wide receiver, he, too, is feeling strong emotions after hearing the news. But he believes it is better to focus on the positives than the negatives. As of now, all of Evans’ personal and NFL records happened with the Buccaneers. So, the fans should celebrate it.

The Buccaneers drafted the WR in 2014. From day one, he gave his all to the franchise. For 11 consecutive seasons, he posted 1,000+ receiving yards, which is a record in itself. In his prime, he even crossed the 1,500+ receiving yards mark. The six-time Pro Bowler made a major contribution in helping the Buccaneers become the first team to win the Super Bowl in their home stadium. He had 13 touchdowns in the regular season and two more in the postseason. The following year, he recorded a career high of 14 touchdowns.

His touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 of the 2024 season marked his 100th receiving touchdown in his career. Evans got to achieve it in front of his Bucs fans. Unfortunately, last season did not turn out how he expected it to be. He suffered from a hamstring injury and a broken clavicle, which kept him out for more than half of the season. Regardless of him going to San Francisco, McCoy wants the Buccaneers fans to cherish the wide receiver. Despite him representing a different franchise, he is still the same Mike Evans.

While Bucs fans are still bittersweet about it, the 49ers have got themselves a pretty good deal. Despite being 32, there is no end to his productivity. As a result, they went and signed him at a comparatively lower price compared to the other wide receivers in free agency.

The San Francisco 49ers signed Mike Evans in a steal of a deal

There are not many wide receivers active who can boast about having 13,000+ receiving yards and 100+ touchdowns to their name. So, it was not much of a question for the 49ers to buy him when he was available. Evans entered free agency, and the Niners signed him to a three-year deal worth $42.4 million. That is excluding all incentives. But the best part is that only $16.3 million of that is guaranteed. It is something that will come off the books after 2026 anyway if they need it to.

Although age and injuries seem to be a concern, there’s no denying that, compared to the other top WR free agents, he has better stats and is cheaper. The free agency also had Romeo Doubs, Alec Pierce, and Wan’Dale Robinson, who are promising wide receivers. Unfortunately, they cost way more than what the Niners wanted to spend. They are dwelling pretty close to their cap space limit. So, spending extra could put pressure on their pockets.

Doubs agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal with the Patriots. On the other hand, Pierce re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts with a four-year contract worth $114 million. Out of it, $84 million is guaranteed. As for Robinson, the Tennessee Titans signed him on a four-year deal, valued at $70 million, with $38 million guaranteed. Together, they posted only two 1,000+ receiving-yard seasons.

So, the Niners got a good deal with Evans. He is someone who can attract defenders and open up paths for the other wideouts. Coming back from an injury-plagued season, he will also want to return to his former self. NFL legend Rob Gronkowski also believes that Evans went to San Francisco in search of new challenges. Now it remains to be seen how many of these challenges can be overcome.