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Tom Brady officially announced his retirement during the 2023 NFL offseason. While his run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was short, it was also surely successful. He helped them make the NFL Playoffs in all three seasons and brought the franchise a Super Bowl ring.
Another Buccaneers star who has had anything but a short run in Tampa Bay is Mike Evans. The wide receiver has spent his entire career with the franchise since being selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has demonstrated consistency and longevity with the organization, and maybe most importantly, incredible loyalty.
Mike Evans signed a five-year extension with the Buccaneers following the expiration of his rookie contract in the 2018 NFL offseason. While the deal was worth a massive $82.5 million, Evans has adopted the team-friendly strategy of restructuring his contract several times to free up additional salary cap space. Tom Brady made this strategy famous with the New England Patriots.
Five times since signing the deal in 2018 has Mike Evans agreed to restructure his contract with the Buccaneers. His loyalty could be rewarded during the 2023 NFL offseason as he's facing a contract situation. Evans' deal expires at the end of the 2023 NFL season and he has expressed interest in getting an extension done before then.
Most players prefer not to play out the final year of their contracts because of the risk involved with having no guaranteed money lined for future seasons. Apparently, Mike Evans is one of them. While he will turn 30 years old this year, it would make sense for the Buccaneers to desire he remains in Tampa Bay. He's been one of the best offensive players in franchise history and one of the most consistent NFL wide receivers ever.
Mike Evans' consistency started long before Tom Brady arrived
While Mike Evans set a career-high in receiving touchdowns twice in three years with Tom Brady as his quarterback, his consistent production goes back way further than that. He's exceeded 65 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in each of his nine seasons in the league.
In fact, Evans is the only wide receiver in NFL history to exceed 1,000 receiving yards in nine consecutive seasons to begin his career.
Evans hasn't shown any signs of slowing down either, as his final year with Tom Brady included his most total yards since the 2019 NFL season. There is little reason to believe he won't extend his streak to 10 consecutive seasons in 2023.
