Buccaneers Pick Up Fifth Year Option on Mike Evans

The Buccaneers have picked up the fifth year option on Mike Evans.

The Buccaneers have a gem in Mike Evans, they know that. Look at how productive he has been, despite being the main target, and at times, the only target. Last year, he led the league in targets with 173, stayed healthy, and put up the kind of numbers that he put up. He is clearly elite yet he doesn’t get the respect that he deserves.

The team is on the way to showing him that respect by making him a Buc for a long time. We reported this was coming just a few weeks ago, but Jason Licht let us know it was official during today’s press conference:

I mean, was there every any real doubt?

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This is a great sign that the team understands that Evans needs to be here for a long time. The numbers speak for themselves. In just three seasons, he has logged 238 catches, 3,578 yards and 27 touchdowns. He is hardly ever spoken about in the same breath as the top wide receivers, but he deserves to be.

However this also makes sense from a team standpoint as well. What it does is turn back the clock on the need for a long-term extension. Evans is now under contract for a fifth season under his rookie contract.

They can get a deal done this year so he doesn’t have a “lame duck” season. They can get it done during 2018. If worst comes to worst, they can still give him the franchise tag after the deal expires. This just increases the Bucs options with regards to Evans, but shows an ultimate commitment to him.

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All in all this is very good news for the boys in pewter.