After 12 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Mike Evans decided to join the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. For all but three of his seasons in Tampa Bay, Evans played alongside fellow receiver Chris Godwin.
Which made Evans' departure all the more shocking. Godwin admits he didn't believe it was real at first when he heard news of the 49ers deal, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.
“Honestly, I didn't believe it,” Godwin said in his first public comments since Evans departed in free agency. “I mean, there's a bunch of stuff on the internet that you can't really believe, a lot of AI stuff. So I didn't really believe it. And then I texted Bake. I was like, ‘Yo, is this for real?' And he was like, ‘Sad face [emoji].'”
“I think it's part of the game, unfortunately,” Godwin said of Evans leaving. “Mike is — I mean, we all know what Mike has been to this community and this organization. That's my brother and I wish him the best and his time in San Fran. I'm sure that they know what kind of player that they're getting.”
Article Continues Below
“I mean, obviously it's going to be difficult that he's not here. And I think anytime you're missing Mike, that's a tough situation. But fortunately we have a room full of guys that are ready to go.”
Over those 12 years with the Buccaneers, Evans caught 866 passes for 13,052 yards and 108 touchdowns. He was named to six Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. Furthermore, Evans historically began his NFL career with 11 straight seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards.
But now, the Buccaneers must prepare for life without Evans. Tampa Bay is well equipped with players like Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan. Still, the offense is sure to look different without Evans' presence.
Godwin must now come to terms with not sharing a wide receiver room with his longstanding teammate. Still, he was able to recognize what Evans was able to do in Tampa Bay and how the Buccaneers plan to respond to his departure.
After 12 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Mike Evans decided to join the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. For all but three of his seasons in Tampa Bay, Evans played alongside fellow receiver Chris Godwin. Which made Evans' departure all the more shocking.