Star WR Mike Evans leaving Buccaneers to sign with 49ers - ESPN

Star wide receiver Mike Evans is leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to sign a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers that is worth up to $60.4 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

«The Buccaneers made it clear they would have loved for Mike to finish his career in Tampa and potentially become just the fourth player in franchise history to spend his entire career as a Buccaneer and ultimately walk into Canton representing the organization,» agent Deryk Gilmore said in a statement.

«Mike Evans' decision to leave Tampa was never about money. The Buccaneers were extremely aggressive in their pursuit and presented a very strong offer, demonstrating how much they value him and everything he has meant to the franchise. In the end, this decision simply came down to Mike wanting a new challenge and a fresh opportunity while he still feels he has a great deal left to give the game.

»Tampa Bay will always be a special place for Mike Evans, and his respect and gratitude for the organization and its fans will never change."

The Buccaneers said in a statement that, «saying goodbye to a legend such as Mike Evans is never easy, but today we are filled with appreciation and gratitude for all that he did during his extraordinary 12-year career as a Buccaneer. Our goal was always to ensure that Mike would play his entire career as a Buccaneer, but as we got further in the process it became clear he was looking for a new challenge.

»… When the time comes, we look forward to gathering once again to honor his many accomplishments and celebrate his eventual Hall of Fame career."

The seventh overall draft pick in 2014 and the first-ever draft pick by Bucs general manager Jason Licht, Evans spent 12 seasons with the franchise,