Evans agreed Wednesday to restructure his contract, converting part of his base salary into a bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Evans' restructured deal will allow Tampa Bay greater room to maneuver as the team continues to work through free agency and prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Coming off his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season, and with teammate Chris Godwin (knee - ACL) having re-signed with the Buccaneers, Evans is primed to run things back with quarterback Baker Mayfield in a familiar -- and ideal -- situation. Evans will turn 32 less than a month before the 2025 regular season kicks off in what will be a contract year. He's yet to show any signs of slowing down and remains positioned as Mayfield's go-to receiving option, though former offensive coordinator Liam Cohen's departure to take on the Jaguars' head coaching position is notable. Replacing Cohen via the internal promotion of last year's pass-game coordinator, Josh Grizzard, still gives the Buccaneers' offense some amount of continuity at the coordinator spot.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Maximizes opportunities in loss
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Evans brought in all seven targets for 92 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 23-20 wild-card loss to the Commanders on Sunday night.
Frequently facing old nemesis Marshon Lattimore, Evans got the better of the veteran cornerback for once, including on his one-yard touchdown grab just before halftime. Evans finished the night with team-high totals in receptions, receiving yards and targets, a fitting follow-up to a regular season in which recorded 74 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns over 14 games, and in which he tied Jerry Rice's record with an 11th consecutive 1,000-yard season. Evans clearly looks like he has plenty left in the tank as he heads into what is slated to be a contract year in 2025, during which he 's slated to earn $21 million in base salary and account for just over $26 million of the Buccaneers' cap.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Ties record in postseason clincher
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Evans brought in nine of 14 targets for 89 yards in the Buccaneers' 27-19 win over the Saints on Sunday, tying Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with 11 such campaigns.
It literally came down to the last play of the game, but the Buccaneers, already assured of a victory and postseason spot, designed a short pass for Evans to get him at least the five yards he needed to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the season. The star wideout unsurprisingly finished the afternoon as the Buccaneers' leader in receptions, receiving yards and targets, and he also earned an additional $3 million in incentives by posting at least five catches for 85 yards Sunday. Evans will naturally remain Baker Mayfield's most indispensable target as the Buccaneers begin the postseason as the No. 3 seed in a yet-to-be-determined matchup on Super Wild Card Weekend.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Needs 85 yards for milestone
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Evans needs 85 yards Sunday against the Saints to tie Jerry Rice's NFL record of 11 straight seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.
In addition to the streak, Evans will earn a $3 million incentive if he catches five or more passes and records 85-plus yards. The Buccaneers aren't necessarily in position to force him the ball given that they need a win to lock up a playoff spot, but that could change in the second half if they pull away from the injury-riddled Saints. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said he's thinking about the milestone more than Evans is and believes the wideout will get the necessary numbers.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Inches closer to 1,000-yard season
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Evans secured eight of nine targets for 97 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 48-14 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
Evans and Baker Mayfield were clicking right from the onset of the high-scoring win, with the veteran wideout securing a pair of grabs on the game-opening six-play drive and capping off the possession with a two-yard touchdown. Evans subsequently recorded a one-yard scoring grab in the second quarter to lock in his fourth season with double-digit touchdown catches in the last five campaigns, and he'll need to record a manageable 85 receiving yards in the Week 18 home matchup against the Saints to tie Jerry Rice with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Five catches in loss
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Evans caught five of eight targets for 69 yards in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Cowboys.
Evans led the team in receiving yards despite catching only one pass in the second half. The star wide receiver has produced at least 68 receiving yards in five consecutive games since missing three due to a hamstring injury. He needs 182 receiving yards over Tampa Bay's last two games, starting with Week 17 against the Panthers, to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th time in as many NFL regular seasons.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Tears top off defense Sunday
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Evans had nine receptions on 11 targets for 159 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 40-17 win over the Chargers.
Evans showed no ill effects from the hamstring injury that limited him during the practice week, ripping off two long touchdown receptions in Sunday's lopsided victory. The nine receptions and 159 yards both marked new highs for the superstar wideout in 2024. Evans likely helped many fantasy managers advance in their respective playoff schedule, and he could be in for an encore against a middling Cowboys squad on Sunday Night Football in Week 16.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Returns to practice
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Evans (hamstring) returned to practice Friday morning, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Evans had the same routine last week, sitting out Wednesday and Thursday before participating Friday. He then avoided a designation on the final injury report and handled his normal workload in a 28-13 win over the Raiders, catching four of five targets for 69 yards while playing 85 percent of snaps on offense. It remains to be seen if he follows the same pattern this week for a road game against the Chargers.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Sits out Wednesday's walkthrough
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Evans (hamstring) didn't participate in Wednesday's walk-through practice, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Evans continues to be bothered by a hamstring issue that sidelined him Weeks 8 through 10, but he's been able to play through it over the last three contests, accounting for 17 catches (on 23 targets) for 255 yards and one touchdown. He's clearly the centerpiece of the Buccaneers passing game when he's available, but his status now will be watched as the week goes on to get a sense of his odds to play Sunday at the Chargers.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Four catches in win
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Evans secured four of five targets for 69 yards in the Buccaneers' 28-13 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
Evans tied Sterling Shepard and Jalen McMillan for the team lead in receptions while checking in second in receiving yards. The veteran wideout got a big chunk of his production on a 32-yard grab, which was the second longest of the game for the Buccaneers. Evans has eclipsed 60 receiving yards in three straight games heading into a Week 15 road battle against the Chargers.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Cleared for Week 14
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Evans (hamstring/calf) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Raiders, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Evans was a limited practice participant Friday after sitting out the previous two days. It seems his absences were a matter of maintenance rather than reflecting genuine concern about his Week 14 availability. Evans put up an 8-112-1 receiving line against Carolina last week in his second game back from a hamstring injury.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Practicing Friday
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Evans (hamstring/calf) is practicing Friday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
His participation after back-to-back absences suggests Evans has a decent chance to play this Sunday against the Raiders. He may have a designation on the final injury report Friday afternoon.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: No practice Thursday
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Evans (hamstring/calf) officially didn't practice Thursday.
Evans thus has just one more chance to mix into drills during Week 14 prep as he deals with dueling health concerns. The 11th-year pro doesn't necessarily require practice reps in order to be ready for game day, but his listing on Friday's injury report will be of interest in advance of Sunday's contest against the Raiders.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Tending to two health concerns
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Evans didn't practice Wednesday due to hamstring and calf injuries.
Evans was sidelined Weeks 8 through 10 due to a strained right hamstring, so he may have sit out Wednesday's session in part due to maintenance purposes for that prior injury. In any case, with Evans being listed with a pair of lower-body issues, his status will be watched as the week goes on to see if he may be in danger off missing another contest Sunday versus Las Vegas.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: First 100-yard game of 2024
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Evans recorded eight receptions on 12 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win against the Panthers.
Evans began his performance with a highlight-reel two-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter and operated as Baker Mayfield's top target from there. On top of the impressive grab in the end zone, Evans also topped the century mark for the first time in 2024 thanks to lengthy receptions of 27, 21 and 17 yards. He's also unsurprisingly operated as one of Tampa Bay's best offensive weapons near the end zone, as he now has seven touchdowns in nine games on the campaign.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Team-high yardage total in return
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Evans brought in five of six targets for 68 yards in the Buccaneers' 30-7 win over the Giants on Sunday.
Making his return from a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury, Evans finished with a team-high receiving yardage total while checking in second in both receptions and targets. The veteran wideout looked as healthy as he proclaimed he was coming into the game and contributed a 26-yard grab among his five catches. Evans, whose catch and yardage totals Sunday were his highest since Week 4, will next take aim at a vulnerable Panthers defense in a Week 13 road divisional battle.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Back in action Sunday
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Evans (hamstring) is listed as active Sunday at the Giants.
Evans is suiting up for the first time since Week 7 due to a right hamstring injury that he aggravated in that contest. He followed an LP/FP/LP regimen in his return to practice this past week, so there's a chance he isn't all the way back to normal in Sunday's game. On the other hand, fellow WR Chris Godwin is out for the rest of the season due to a dislocated left ankle, so Evans is a decent bet to be on the receiving end of many Baker Mayfield passes. Evans requires 665 receiving yards over the final seven contests of the campaign in order to attain an 11th straight 1,000-yard season.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: On track for Sunday
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Evans (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Giants, is on track to play, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
As anticipated, Evans looks like he'll be ready to go after missing the Buccaneers' previous three games before the team's Week 11 bye due to a right hamstring strain that he aggravated in a Week 7 loss to the Ravens. Before locking him into lineups, fantasy managers will want to confirm that Evans avoids the Buccaneers' inactive list, which will be released 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Once the 31-year-old wideout is cleared to play, he'll look to finish the season on a high note as he seeks an 11th straight season of at least 1,000 receiving yards. He's produced 335 yards through seven games with seven games left to go for Tampa Bay.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Questionable for Week 12
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Evans (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at the Giants, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Evans missed the three contests before the Buccaneers' Week 11 bye due to the right hamstring strain that he aggravated during a Week 7 loss to the Ravens. Coming out of the midseason respite, he sandwiched a pair of limited practices around Thursday's full session, but there remains a question mark about his potential to return this weekend. Coach Todd Bowles told Laine earlier Friday that Evans will play Sunday "as long as he's healthy and fresh," something that'll be confirmed, one way or another, approximately 90 minutes before a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Buccaneers' Mike Evans: Logs full practice Thursday
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Evans (hamstring) practiced fully Thursday.
Evans thus is poised to put an end to a three-game absence due to the strained right hamstring that he aggravated during a Week 7 loss the Ravens. With fellow WR Chris Godwin (ankle) out for the season, Evans will be the unquestioned top target for QB Baker Mayfield moving forward as he looks to build upon the 26-335-6 line on 45 targets that he's put up so far this season.
