For the first time since coming into the NFL, wide receiver Mike Evans will not be playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Evans agreed to a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers once free agency began, putting an end to his impressive decade-plus run with Tampa Bay, which selected him at No. 7 overall in 2014.
On Thursday, Evans spoke to reporters at his introductory press conference with the 49ers, and he revealed he was also considering the Buffalo Bills.
Mike Evans said he was looking to join and contender with a good quarterback. The 49ers checked both boxes, he said. “So I was looking at here, Buffalo Bills, teams that needed a No. 1 wide receiver,” Evans said. “I liked this place. This was my No. 1 spot on my own (research).”
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 12, 2026
Josh Allen and the Bills desperately needed help at the WR position, but they did address that a bit by acquiring DJ Moore in a trade with the Chicago Bears.
Other teams, including the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers, reportedly showed interest in Evans before he agreed to go to San Francisco.
Evans signed a three-year deal with the 49ers worth just $42.2 million and $16 million guaranteed, although it can reach as much as $60 million due to incentives and bonuses.
Still, Evans said it wasn’t about money, but rather it was “just football.”
“It was just (about) football,” Evans said, via Noah Furtado of The San Francisco Chronicle. “Something that I can be excited about. Every time I come to Levi’s Stadium and I see how the crowd is and I see the energy that they bring and I see the rich history of the San Francisco 49ers, it just excites me. So I feel like it’s given me a second wind in my career. And that’s why I chose to come here.”
Evans also wanted a new challenge in his career, so going to the 49ers gives him just that while also giving Brock Purdy a new top target alongside tight end George Kittle.
