Bucs insider gives latest update on Mike Evans contract negotiations ahead of training camp

When pondering the many questions Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans would like answered in training camp this year, what happens next with Mike Evans is near the top of the list.

Specifically, when will he get a new contract — assuming the Bucs are going to give him one?

Evans is entering the final year of his $82.5 million extension he signed five years ago, and everything points toward him getting another big payday. He’s owed as much after all he’s given the Bucs over the last half decade and for how important he is to the offense.

Despite what Madden 24 ratings might try to tell you, Evans is one of the very best receivers in the game. That’s been the case for a while now, and there was a time when it was openly pondered whether he’d be talked about as the bes receiver in football if he played in a different market.

The arrival of Tom Brady in 2020 gave Evans’ career the spotlight is needed, and now he is looking for a new deal that will hopefully keeps him in Tampa Bay for the long haul.

Buccaneers Rumors: Latest update on Mike Evans contract negotiations

Buccaneers insider Scott Reynolds offered an update as to where things stand between Evans and the team as training camp nears. While there’s still hope that a deal can get done, one isn’t expected to materialize before next Wednesday.

Earlier this offseason it was reported by Rick Stroud that Evans and the Bucs were talking and a mutual interest existed in finding a way to keep the current relationship going. It sounds like that’s still the case, but things are still progressing slowly.

The likely culprit is money, as Evans is due for a pay raise the Bucs might not be totally able to afford.

That figure is in line with other projections that have been made about what a new deal for Evans could look like. Right now he’s the 17th-highest paid receiver based on AAV, with Chris Godwin making about $4 million more than Evans.

So Evans isn’t even the highest paid receiver on his own team.

A four-year, $60 million deal for Evans feels right, as it would give him a deserved pay bump. It keeps him on the course to be a Buccaneer for life, something that sounds like is a goal for him the same way it is for Lavonte David.

Bucs fans certainly wouldn’t complain, the front office would likely be able to stomach that cap hit, but it all comes down to how much Evans wants to hold out for as far as how long these talks drag on.