Mike Evans
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TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 12: Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff at Raymond James Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
For many Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, they are still trying to recover from the events of the trade that sent Mike Evans to the San Francisco 49ers. However, they haven’t yet heard the end of it. Apparently, 49ers tight end George Kittle had a lot of influence on the deal, detailing the 49ers’ amenities compared to Tampa and their chances of Super Bowl success.
What stings even more is that Mike Evans said as much in his first press conference with the team. ““George was the biggest salesman. George sold it big time, and he’s a big reason why I’m here, just because the type of player and teammate that he is,” Evans said of Kittle’s influence.
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Kittle’s Influence Helped Seal the Deal
For the 49ers, to have someone like George Kittle being able to attract talent to your team speaks volumes of their leadership structure and their reputation around the league. It also helps that Kittle is not just talking the talk, but the 49ers are walking the walk. In detailing his interactions with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast, he spoke on the many facilities and amenities he could point to to convince Evans.
“[Principal owner Jed York] does such a good job of putting money back into the team so that we can be at our best,” Kittle stated. “Our organization is ran like an NFL team is supposed to. If you asked a ten year old kid ‘What would you expect an NFL team to do?’ We do all of that, plus more”.
What This Says About Both Franchises
For Evans, who is potentially in the twilight of his career, the kinds of amenities that the 49ers have to offer could be way more appealing. With plenty of recovery programs and suitable travel accommodations, Evans is in a much better place than if he stayed in Tampa.
The 49ers can also point to their sterling NFLPA grades as well, where compared to the Bucs ranking 29th, they ranked 14th, giving a huge nod to the ownership with an A- grade.
While the general hype surrounding the 49ers seems much more positive, this is a poor reflection on the Bucs and their potential ability to retain players of note. This could call into question their ability to extend Baker Mayfield next offseason and other key players such as Emeka Egbuka. The fact that Evans willingly sought out options before free agency even started is a testament to how poorly run the Bucs are.
Based off of both Kittle’s and Evans’ statements however, one cannot deny that Mike ended up in a better place that will get more out of him at this late stage of his career. By focusing in on who he is a player, the 49ers could still get some much needed production out of him that could see them become premier Super Bowl contenders.
Most importantly, it reflects on the kind of team that Evans will be joining: one that wants nothing but success for everyone involved. That’s not something that can be said of the Bucs right now.