Bucs GM Licht says Evans 'earned the right' to sign with 49ers - ESPN

TAMPA, Fla. — Speaking for the first time since wide receiver Mike Evans signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency last week, Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said Wednesday that he does not «feel betrayed» by the departure.

Evans, the franchise's all-time scoring leader, had made several past comments about wanting to be a Buccaneer his entire career, including as recently as last year.

«Mike gave us everything he had for his 12 seasons here and established himself as one of the best players in the league,» Licht said. «So to say it again, one of our best players we've ever had — I don't feel betrayed. He earned the right. I said that over and over. He earned the right to make this decision. And sometimes you've got to talk it over with your family and just sometimes you're just ready for another chapter.»

Evans was Licht's first draft pick as a first-time general manager in 2014. He was the first person Licht sought on the field when the Bucs defeated the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 NFC championship game that would send them to Super Bowl LV. A framed No. 13 jersey still hangs in Licht's South Tampa home, with a message that's addressed to his then-5-year-old son Charlie: «Your dad made the right pick!»

And when Evans inked his new deal in 2014, he said, «I look forward to being a [Buccaneer] for life.»

«He means everything to me, but he means everything to the entire organization,» Licht said. «Obviously best offensive player we've ever had and even better person than he is player. So it's always tough. That one's really tough.»

Evans' agents, Deryk Gilmore and Darren Jones, said in a statement just after Evans and the 49ers agreed to terms that the deal «wasn't about money,» something Evans