Evans brought in two of three targets for 17 yards in the Buccaneers' 26-7 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Evans' final line tells the tale of how difficult an afternoon it was for the Buccaneers offense as a whole, particularly the air attack. With Baker Mayfield taking seven sacks and averaging only 4.9 yards per attempt, Evans' numbers unsurprisingly took a hit. The star wideout's reception, receiving yardage and target numbers were all season lows, giving him plenty of room for improvement in a Week 4 home matchup against the Eagles.

Evans caught three of six targets for 42 yards in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Lions.

EDGE Analysis

Evans had just one catch for 16 yards on two first-half targets, as eight of Baker Mayfield's 12 passes before halftime were directed to Chris Godwin. Evans was actually Tampa Bay's leading receiver after halftime but that production didn't amount to much, as the veteran wide receiver cooled off after a two-touchdown Week 1 performance. He has just 103 receiving yards heading into a Week 3 date with a Broncos secondary led by star cornerback Patrick Surtain.

Evans caught five of six targets for 61 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 37-20 win over Washington.

EDGE Analysis

Evans finished third in receiving yards for the Buccaneers while logging the most fantasy points by scoring twice in the win. The superstar wideout is fresh off of a contract extension and looks to be in sync with starting quarterback Baker Mayfield to kick things off this fantasy campaign. Evans will face a stiffer test in terms of defensive backs when the Bucs face the Lions next Sunday, but the WR1 should always crack starting fantasy lineups so long as he is 100 percent healthy.

Evans isn't in line to play in Friday's preseason finale against the Dolphins, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Per Smith, coach Todd Bowles told the Buccaneers Radio Network that neither Evans nor LB Lavonte David will face Miami in the team's final exhibition contest. However, the duo's absence is not injury-related, rather it's a case of them getting the night off, like a 'veteran' day in practice. Evans' next game action will thus occur when he lines up in Tampa Bay's starting lineup against the Commanders in a Week 1 matchup on Sept. 8.

Evans' chemistry with Baker Mayfield has been evident early in the Buccaneers' training camp, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Evans displayed plenty of rapport with Mayfield right out of the gate in their first year playing together in 2023, posting a 17-297 line while also recording a touchdown apiece in the Buccaneers' first three regular-season games. The veteran wideout, who re-signed with Tampa Bay this offseason, wasted no time flashing the same chemistry with Mayfield early in training camp with several impressive catches over the first trio of practices, and he's in line to once again serve as no less than a co-No. 1 receiver alongside Chris Godwin in 2024.

Evans and the Buccaneers reached agreement Monday morning on a two-year, $52 million contract that includes $35 million guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Reports a few days earlier suggested Evans would hit free agency, but he ended up re-signing with the Buccaneers instead and will continue playing for the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2014. He'll turn 31 in August, having topped 1,000 yards in a record-setting 10 straight seasons to open his career, including 2023 when he had his most catches (79), yards (1,255) and targets (136) since 2018 while tying for the league lead in receiving touchdowns (13). The Buccaneers can now focus on re-signing their other prominent free agents, including QB Baker Mayfield, S Antoine Winfield and LB Lavonte David.

Evans plans to hit free agency for the first time in his career, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

While Evans and the Buccaneers remain in contract discussions, the veteran pass catcher wants to explore his options. Thus, it does not mean his time in Tampa Bay is over, but rather, that he plans on hearing from all teams before making a decision. The 30-year-old has been with the team for all 10 years of his NFL seasons and is coming off a campaign where he recorded 1,255 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Buccaneers appear committed to re-signing Evans before the start of free agency, even if there is a financial strain on the team's cap situation, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "He's an unprecedented player. We want him to be a Buc for life. We're working towards that," general manager Jason Licht said Tuesday at the NFL Combine.

EDGE Analysis

Licht admitted the team would probably have to "strain a little bit" to reach a deal palatable to Evans, who's coming off his 10th consecutive 1,000-yard season. The perennial Pro Bowler also recorded 13 touchdowns in 2023 -- tying for the league lead. "Mike did a heck of a job and he came to work every day," coach Todd Bowles said. "He has been very consistent, very dynamic, yet he's very humble off the field. He's one of my favorite players. I have a lot of respect for Mike and everything he does..."

The Buccaneers are not expected to re-sign Evans by Monday's 'soft' deadline, which will force the team to take on $7.4 million in dead cap space, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Evans and Tampa Bay will continue contract negotiations in the meantime, but as things stand, the passing of Monday's deadline makes it look more realistic that the 30-year-old wideout ends up on the free-agent market. The Buccaneers also have the option of placing the franchise tag on Evans, though that would cost the team a whopping $28.4 million for 2024 and rule out other tag options like Baker Mayfield and Antoine Winfield. Evans has put together 10 straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards and been instrumental to each iteration of Tampa Bay's offense to burgeon in that stretch, so whether he receives his next contract from the Buccaneers or a team on the open market, expect his compensation to be remunerative.

New Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen made it clear Tuesday that he's hopeful the team will re-sign Evans, an impending free agent, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Evans and QB Baker Mayfield have expiring contracts, and WR Chris Godwin is scheduled for $20 million in non-guaranteed compensation for the final year of his deal in 2024. The possibility of significant change can't be ignored, but Coen's opening press conference left little doubt that part of his motivation for taking the Tampa Bay job was an expectation the gang would be kept together. The former Rams and Kentucky offensive coordinator talked about how much easier it is to design an offense with a downfield, perimeter threat like Evans, also mentioning that he plans to move Godwin back to the slot as his primary alignment. A franchise tag for Evans would cost $28.4 million -- 120 percent of his 2023 cap charge -- while Mayfield's tag number likely would be around $35 million. The Bucs have a third candidate for the tag in 25-year-old safety Antoine Winfield, whose salary would be about $17 million. Re-signing Evans first would help the team's short-term cap flexibility, allowing the Bucs to shift much of his $12.2 million cap hit from void years into future seasons (but only if he signs a new deal before Feb. 19 when his current contract voids).