When Mike Evans decided to leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, it was universally interpreted by fans as a total rejection of where things stand. Anyone hoping that wasn't the case was sorely mistaken when Evans confirmed this notion in his introductory press conference with the 49ers.
Evans didn't take any shots at the Bucs -- or any of the coaches or players he left in the dust -- but he wasn't shy about the reason he left Tampa Bay.
"It was always going to be hard to leave Tampa, but football-wise this was going to be the best spot for me, for sure," Evans said during his press conference with the 49ers. "[The 49ers] went 13-4 last year. I think they were one piece away, and I feel like I'm that piece."
There's a lot to unpack there, but the biggest thing actually has nothing to do with his hopes of winning now -- it's far more painful than that.
MIke Evans confirmed that the Buccaneers aren't good for his legacy anymore
If the initial statement about why Evans left was a gut punch to fans, hearing the man himself say the Buccaneers were no longer up to his standard is a shot right to the chin. This sucks; there's no way to articulate it any other way. One of the greatest players in franchise history rejected the only team he's ever known because they ran him off.
There are plenty of reasons why this happened, but one of the most obvious continues to go unsaid and is probably the most painful.
It's easy to point to the infamous "It was third-and-28, bro" meltdown as a tipping point. That blown 14-point lead against the Falcons not only triggered the implosion of Tampa Bay's season but it was a game Evans came back from a serious injury to play in. He gave the Bucs his all and the reward was that.
Evans said the quiet part out loud about not his chances of winning a Super Bowl with the 49ers, but how they represent his best shot at solidifying his Hall of Fame case. It's widely acknowledged that Evans is a future Hall of Famer but he's in the final stages of determining how long he'll have to wait before he's inducted into Canton.
By leaving the Bucs, he's not only placing his best chances of winning in the hands of Kyle Shanahan, he's saying that his legacy is better off in San Francisco than it is in Tampa Bay.
Think about that. For all of the indictments we've gone over from Evans leaving, that's the one that cuts right through the bone. He's sawing off the Bucs from his quest for Canton, believing they'll do more harm than good at this point in his career.
And who can blame him? If it's a choice between Kyle Shanahan locking up your Hall of Fame case or Todd Bowles and Zac Robinson, the choice is pretty easy. Evans isn't saying he's not proud of what he accomplished with the Bucs, but saying that another place is the best spot for him "football-wise" speaks volumes and isn't hard to read between the lines.