Mike Evans left the only NFL home he’d ever known this offseason, ending a 12-year run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign with the San Francisco 49ers. And while it may have been a surprise for many, Evans said the move came down to timing more than anything else.
“I just felt like it’s what I needed at this point in my career,” Evans said via KNBR. “Love Tampa. Been there my whole career, 12 seasons. Love the fan base, love the people in the front office, my teammates. But just felt like it was time for a change. This team is definitely… rejuvenated me and potentially added some years on my career.”
Evans, who turns 33 this month, said the 49ers’ roster and infrastructure made the decision straightforward once he weighed his options. Brock Purdy at quarterback, a deep group of skill players, a defense built around Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, and Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff all factored in.
“It was self-explanatory,” Evans said. “I mean, they had everything I was looking for. They checked all the boxes. Try to win now. Quarterback, great skilled players, great defense, great coaching staff, and then just great organization. And then a bonus is the weather that I didn’t even know about.”
San Francisco has come close to a championship repeatedly over the past several seasons without closing the deal, and Evans — who won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2020 — said he believes he can be the difference this time around.
“I hope I am,” Evans said about being the missing piece to the team. “And I’m grinding and I still feel really good. I still feel like I can definitely be that piece to help this team get over the hump.”
The 49ers now have Evans lined up alongside George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk in one of the deepest skill-position groups in the league. For a team that’s made three trips to the NFC Championship game or beyond since 2019 without a Lombardi Trophy to show for it, adding a receiver of Evans’ caliber — with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons on his résumé — is exactly the kind of swing San Francisco has been chasing.
