Mike Evans' decision reveals tough reality for Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans may never get over Mike Evans leaving in the offseason to sign with the San Francisco 49ers, despite the Bucs offering him a fair contract. Evans felt like the kind of guy who would be a Buc for life but, unfortunately, he swapped the red Bucs jersey for a scarlet 49ers jersey instead.

While Evans clearly was ready for something new in his career, some might dive deeper into his decision and think that this was some sort of vendetta against Baker Mayfield. Did Evans think that there was a better quarterback for him to play with?

Nick San Miguel of Niner Noise pointed out that while Mayfield came in at a better spot on the NFL Top 100 than 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Evans' decision could have served as the tiebreaker as to which signal-caller is better.

Both guys have put up pretty similar numbers since Purdy's rookie year in 2022 but San Miguel argued that Evans clearly liked what he saw from Purdy, thus tipping the scale in the former Mr. Irrelevant's favor.

"They’re basically pretty equal when looking at the stats, but the tiebreak should go to Evans, considering he had a choice in free agency this offseason and chose Purdy over Mayfield.
This doesn’t mean he thinks Mayfield is terrible or anything, but Evans has played with Tom Brady. He knows good quarterback play when he sees it, and at this point in his career, he decided he was better off having Purdy throw him the ball than Mayfield," San Miguel wrote. "Evans' decision speaks volumes and tips the scales in the debate decidedly in one direction. Mayfield is unquestionably a good quarterback, but Purdy is better and the NFL rankings do not reflect that. Perhaps that will change after this season, especially if Purdy and Evans go off and establish a magical connection."

Mike Evans' choice could spark tough Baker Mayfield conversation

At the end of the day, Evans made a decision that he felt was best for him. While he clearly is excited to catch passes from Purdy in the Bay Area, this doesn't mean he thinks Mayfield is trash by any means. Mayfield has been quite good since arriving to Tampa Bay and Evans helped him revamp his career.

That being said, Evans wanted a change of scenery and he's getting that with the 49ers. He had it pretty good with Mayfield as his quarterback and while Bucs fans will always pull for Evans, they certainly wouldn't be sad if he realized that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

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