The Tampa Bay Buccaneers answered one of their biggest question marks this offseason when they recently gave 10-year veteran Mike Evans a hefty 2-year, $52 million extension to keep him in Tampa.
The 5-time Pro Bowler has now made it clear who he wants throwing him the ball as he looks to add to his NFL record of ten consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin a career.
According to NFL.com, Evans wants free agent Baker Mayfield back, saying “Me and Baker, we have a really good connection. I think he’s an elite quarterback.”
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans hopes to get Baker Mayfield back: "He’s an elite quarterback"https://t.co/SdkYulakUQ pic.twitter.com/hHbR4dDxuN
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 9, 2024
It’s easy to see why Evans wants Baker to stick around, as the veteran is coming off his best season in years where he posted 79 catches for 1,255 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns.
Baker also put up career numbers in his first year as a Buc, career highs of 4,044 yards, 28 passing touchdowns, and a 64.3 percent completion rate.
Mayfield rolled the dice on a 1-year, $4 million deal with the Bucs last offseason in what easily could have been his last chance to prove himself as a starting quarterback in this league.
His fourth team in three years turned out to be just what he needed, as Mayfield led Tampa to an NFC South crown and a playoff victory over the defending NFC champion Eagles.
There are plenty of teams around the league looking for a new quarterback, but it feels like Evans knows something if he appears this confident about his quarterback returning.
Tampa currently has about $22.4 million in cap room according to Spotrac, so we’ll see how they accommodate what should be a hefty pay raise for their quarterback if they choose to bring Baker back.
NEXT: Buccaneers GM Sends A Clear Message About Baker Mayfield