Adam Schefter disrespects Mike Evans while reporting on Brandon Aiyuk contract
By Josh Hill
It's been a really good offseason to be a wide receiver in the NFL.
Over a billion dollars was collectively handed out across the league as 13 of the receivers in the game signed either extensions with their teams or new deals elsewhere. Another is likely soon on the way with Ja'Marr Chase being the lone superstar wide out to have not yet been paid.
Among that group celebrating an offseason payday is Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Evans, who inked a $52 million extension back in March. He was set to hit free agency when the new league year began, and all signs pointed toward him testing the market right up until a deal was struck at the 11th hour.
Evans had another fantastic year last season, going over 1,000 yards for the 10th straight season, all while gaining some extra attention due to his contract situation. Everything he did was colored by the idea that a team might be able to steal him away, but now that he's signed a deal to stay with the Bucs he's gone back to being forgotten about by the national media.
Mike Evans gets left off Adam Schefter's list of WRs who got paid this offseason
Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers finally agreed to a contract extension after an offseason of dancing around getting something done. When reporting on the details of the deal, ESPN's Adam Schefter listed off a handful of top receivers Aiyuk joins in having been paid this offseason, but failed to mention Mike Evans.
Oh, come on.
Maybe this was just an innocent oversight, but the fact of the matter remains that the Bucs are somehow overlooked at every turn. To be fair, there wasn't much to watch in the 2010s, but Tampa Bay is talked about -- or in most cases isn't talked about -- as though they're a second-rate franchise.
This is a team that has been to the playoffs four straight seasons, owns three consecutive divisions, and won a Super Bowl less than five years ago. Beyond that, the Bucs are well-run organization that cares about its players to the point where stars like Evans don't want to leave in free agency.
Much like blaming the refs, claiming some sort of bias against your team on the national level is often a crutch but Bucs fans keep getting evidence that they're being pushed to the side. It happened last year when the team was picked to be among the worst in the league, and is happening again with similat predictions.
Despite winning the division, reaching the second round of the playoffs, and re-signing every key player on the roster, Tampa Bay is once again being brushed off as afterthoughts. It's easy to roll your eyes at claims there's a Bucs Bias but when things like the most prominent NFL reporter in the world forgetting about a superstar like Mike Evans makes you wonder what's up.
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