Buccaneers ex Mike Evans reveals true feelings on leaving franchise

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew that keeping a hold of Mike Evans after he stated his desire to explore his options in free agency was going to be a tall order.

With Evans signing with the San Francisco 49ers on a three-year deal, Buccaneers fans, and NFL fans for that matter, are going to have to get used to the idea of Evans in a different uniform in 2026.

Tampa has a lot of receivers on the roster, so Evans moving on, while not ideal, isn't the end of the world.

And Mike revealed at his introductory press conference his true feelings on the move to the NFC West.

"It was always going to be hard to leave Tampa," Evans said via NFL.com. "Football-wise, this was the best spot for me for sure. I've always appreciated how the Niners went about their business on the football field."

More: Mike Evans has ideal quote for 49ers fans after free agency signing

Buccaneers fine after Evans move

Well, fine might be too strong a word, but the franchise certainly isn't short of receiver options.

Yes, they will have to replace Mike's production, but with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson, the Bucs have options.

Granted, adding Evans to that mix would be great, but Tampa Bay didn't have him for long stretches last season, and the offense functions fine.

Now, as this latest chapter gets written for the Buccaneers, for the first time in over a decade, one will be written without Evans.

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