“Jason, you think Mike would still be here if we brought Antonio Brown back from the football grave?”
Why is Mike Evans no longer a Bucs receiver? There are more than a couple of reasons.
It starts with the Bucs only signing Evans to a two-year contract two years ago when he publicly said he wanted to be “Buc For Life.” Then the Bucs seemingly ignored Evans’ comments about 13 months ago when he said he wasn’t sure if he’d be retired from the NFL in 2028. Yes, 2028.
Many decisions also happened to push Evans out the door in the wake of the January 2025 playoff loss to the Commandos. They led to Evans waving goodbye to the only NFL home he knew because he didn’t think the Bucs were serious about or capable of competing for a Super Bowl. That’s the summation from WTSP-TV, Channel 10 sports anchor Evan Closky. He says the decisions all added up — from decison-makers in the highest office suites at One Buc Palace right down to the assistant coaches.
In a damning yet sober breakdown of reasons Evans might have left, Closky called out the Bucs organization for hurting the team and souring the greatest offensive player the Bucs ever drafted to a point Evans preferred a pay cut — and paying taxes through the nose in California taxes — to get away from the Bucs and have a chance to play in another Super Bowl.
Closky played clips of Evans speaking after he signed his last Bucs contract, including Evans professing his love for the Bucs and the Tampa area.
Some 14 months later, it’s costing Evans millions to play elsewhere. What happened?
The Bucs organization pushed Evans out the door, Closky said.
No, they didn’t actually tell Evans to take a hike. Closky noted several ill-advised decisions kept chipping away Evans’ love of the team and confidence the Bucs could win until Evans couldn’t tolerate putting on a Bucs uniform again.
Closky suggested the Bucs better look in the mirror and study what chased Evans out (and probably other players, too) to assess their errors and determine how they will return Tampa Bay to a status where free agents actually want to play here again.
Closky has done a lot of good work in his years at WTSP. He may struggle to top this.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is old school sports journalism.
When Mike Evans signed his contract in 2024, he said he wanted to be a Buc for life.
In January of 2025, he said he made the right decision.
14 months later, he's gone.
My commentary on Mike's departure & why it's concerning he left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. pic.twitter.com/YKcdBPt0zR
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) March 10, 2026
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