Super Bowl Contender Emerges Out Of Nowhere As Favorite To Land Mike Evans In Free Agency
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
A surprising team has emerged as a favorite to land veteran wide receiver Mike Evans in free agency this offseason.
The Pro Bowler has achieved just about everything in 12 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans is a Super Bowl winner and is one of just two wideouts to record 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, the other being Jerry Rice.
Should he go on to retire as a Buc, he would have checked everything off.
Curiously, however, that may not be the case. Evans said he would love to end his career in Tampa Bay when he signed his extension two years ago. But, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, teams believe the player is serious about playing elsewhere.
“Sources: #Bucs legend Mike Evans is poised to become a free agent next hour, and interested teams have gotten the sense he’s serious about leaving Tampa Bay after 12 seasons,” Schultz reported on Monday morning.
Chicago Bears Now Favorites For Mike Evans
The Chicago Bears have shot up as the favorites to sign the 32-year-old.
The Bears were not among the five teams previously listed as top potential destinations. Still, prediction market Polymarket has them as the likeliest landing spot for the six-time Pro Bowler.
Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, said last month that the player “basically wants to look at all 32 teams.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has since reported that Evans is looking to play alongside a quarterback and under an offensive coordinator who would give him a shot at another Super Bowl.
“He wants a quarterback he believes in, a chance at a Super Bowl, a top-shelf offensive coordinator, and the promise of high-volume touches,” Fowler noted. “Only so many teams fit that mold. The Buccaneers will aggressively pursue re-signing Evans and met with his agent, Deryk Gilmore, on Thursday [Feb. 26].”
Evans became an unrestricted free agent on Monday. Teams can begin negotiating with him, but wouldn’t be able to sign him until the new NFL year begins on Wednesday afternoon.
