GENERAL MANAGER JASON LICHT & WIDE RECEIVER MIKE EVANS
(Opening Statement)
Jason Licht: "To be fully transparent, I've done a few of these over the last decade, but I'm having a hard time with coming up with what to say here because there's just so much to say. Mike's obviously an extraordinary player. He and his wife, Ashli, and family are extraordinary people. [They] have done unprecedented things in the community, as well as Mike on the field. He means so much to this community, fanbase, organization, [and] to me, personally, my family. He's a role model to a lot of kids and our kids as well. The moment that we found out that Mike wanted to be a [Buccaneer] for life was something I'll never forget. I was sharing the story with him, where Blair [Licht] and I were. So, before I get too emotional, I'm going to turn it over to him, but we're just happy he stayed home."
(Opening Statement)
Mike Evans: "Obviously, it's been well known that I wanted to be a [Buccaneer] for my whole career. It's very rare to stay with one team the entirety of your career and that's something that was a goal of mine. This is one step closer to one of my biggest goals. Thank you to the Glazer family – they've always treated me and my family great – Jason [Licht], Mike [Greenberg], all of the front office, all of the coaches that I've had since I've been here, all of my teammates. I'm really appreciative of what they've meant to me and what they've done for me throughout my time here. Tampa, I love y'all."
(On how close WR Mike Evans was to testing out free agency)
ME: "I was eating dinner with my wife, Ashli, and she hadn't said anything up until the process [started]. I obviously wanted to be a Buccaneer, and there were some things that we were working through. When you've played for one team for so long, you obviously think about what it would be like playing somewhere else. I have a lot of friends on other teams. It was a cool dream, but Tampa is my home – it's where I've always wanted to be. We got a great deal – my agents got a great deal done with Jason [Licht]. I couldn't pass up on it. I look forward to being a [Buccaneer] for life."
(On how committed GM Jason Licht was to retaining WR Mike Evans)
JL: "Every draft, we like to think that the first pick that we take kind of sets the tone for the draft class. When the Glazer family hired me, it was my first time being a GM and there were a lot of things that I did wrong that first year [but] there was one thing that I did right and it was Mike. It made up for a lot of those other things. He's the epitome of what you want in a draft pick. He set the standard. Every year you want the first pick to set the standard for the class and Mike set the standard for me. I've been chasing that standard with my staff every year. Because of that, we've had some success and we won a Super Bowl and we're in position to chase another one and compete for another one and win another one because of Mike. That's what Mike has meant to me."
(On his relationship with QB Baker Mayfield and if he ever checked in with him during the negotiation process)
ME: "Of course. Of course. Me and Baker, we played one season together and I feel like we can build on what we did last year. Hopefully we get him back – he's a hell of a player. I appreciate [him]. They're going to handle their process and I trust Jason [Licht] and the front office no matter what happens."
(On what his goals are at this point in his career)
ME: "There's a lot more for me to chase and there's a lot more that I have to prove to myself and the rest of the fanbase. I left a lot on the table last year. There are some things I can do this offseason to help fix that – to have better focus and to be in a little bit better shape. I can definitely be way better than I was last year."
(On how important it was to him to know who the new offensive coordinator was going to be and what kind of system the team was going to utilize)
ME: "I talked to Liam [Coen] – he came from [Los Angeles]. Nothing but great things, I've heard about him. He was excited for the opportunity to get to work with me and I'm equally as excited. We talked about a lot of things – about getting me the ball, and you know I love getting the ball. So, he wants to do that and I'm appreciative. That definitely helped my decision, as well."
(On how relieved he is to have this deal done)
ME: "Early on, it was a struggle – probably before the season started – but I have a great family. My wife was my rock through the whole time. She said, 'Just play ball, do what you love to do. You love your teammates, you love this city, just play your heart out and everything will work itself out.' It did. She's a big part of why I stayed here and my kids, as well. Like I said, this is home for us. They made it very easy on the decision."
(On what he's done to be able to play this long in the NFL and if he's excited about what he can continue do to for the Tampa Bay community with his extension)
ME: "I've told you all throughout the years that I train more and I train harder in the offseason, eat better and things like that – stretching, chiropractor, the whole nine [yards]. I have it all. That's definitely helped me prolong my career and made me feel better. Hopefully I can play five-to-six more years at a high level. That's been key for me. It's helped me a lot … And I didn't want to leave the community. I've made life-long relationships in the community. There are domestic violence centers that we're a big part of, so we didn't want to leave that. Even though we always would have probably helped, it's cool to be close to home."
(On what it's like to have made the playoffs the last four seasons after missing them in his first six seasons)
ME: "I think we always have a chance. When we have our core guys, I feel like we always have a chance. These last four years have been a dream and it's been what every player wishes they can have throughout their whole career. Hopefully we can continue to do that and I believe we will. These last four years have been great."
(On GM Jason Licht showing his appreciation for WR Mike Evans throughout the 2023 season)
ME: "He just means a lot to me, period. He has so much belief in me, it's crazy. I'm super appreciative of it. Me and him are really good friends and I know his family really well – his wife, his kids. They've always been great to me and my family, and they are family. It was easy. It was easy because this is my guy."
(On if Evans thinks QB Baker Mayfield is an 'elite' quarterback)
ME: "Absolutely. It's on record that I've played with many quarterbacks throughout my career, so that doesn't matter. Whoever the quarterback is, he's an NFL quarterback. But, yeah, me and Baker, we have a really good connection. I think he's an elite quarterback."
(On how close this team is to contending for another Super Bowl)
ME: "I think we're in a really good place. We could have been better last year – we were super close to making it to the NFC Championship [Game]. When you get into the tournament, anything can happen. I wish I could have played a little bit better for us in the postseason and help us get to the NFC Championship [Game]. That's what I plan on doing this year."
(On Evans mentioning in the past his dream to help people off of the field and what it means to him to be able to continue to fulfill that)
ME: "That's one of the most rewarding parts of this whole deal – that I get to help people that are in need and change people's lives, not just financially, but also with my presence and just being there for them. That's been really the highlight of my life so far. The people that [have] put me in this position – I've been super blessed to have great people [around me], so I definitely want to help people that need it."
(On how important the camaraderie and relationships Evans has with teammates was to the decision to come back to the Buccaneers)
ME: "The camaraderie is super important. Those are my friends forever. The guys that I've won a Super Bowl with – we're etched in history together forever. It means a lot to have those guys in the locker room. They make coming to work super easy. It can be hard at times. I know we get paid a lot and we're playing at the highest level, but we're human beings and we deal with things in life, as well. Just having those guys around makes everything much easier."
(On what it means for Evans to have such strong support from the Buccaneers fanbase)
ME: "That's how Tampa has always been toward me and my family, so that's why this is home. They've always shown me love even when I'm not playing well. They always have my back and that drives me and motivates me to try to be a better player and a better man."
(On Evans' deal being the first one to get checked off General Manager Jason Licht's list)
JL: "Well, it meant that my kids won't ask me anymore when I go home when we're getting Mike done, and letting me know that if we don't, I won't be able to go out to dinner anymore in Tampa [laughs]. It meant a lot. We still have some work to do, but having Mike being here for 10 years and with all of the things he has done, it made sense to get his done first."
(On how Evans can continue to improve heading into his 11th NFL season)
ME: "I've just got to be in even better shape. I've been in great shape the last five or six years of my career, but I can take it to a new level so that throughout the season when I get those little injuries, I can just recover super fast. I've been doing that, and it's been helping me a lot, but I can take it to the next level. And there are some things that I'm still chasing. I'm not in this game just to be an average guy. I want to be the guy, the No. 1 guy. I'm trying to be one of the best receivers in the league, if not the best every year that I play."
(On how Licht balances getting a deal done with Evans while also leaving enough cap space to continue to sign other players)
JL: "Well, you have great people working for you in the experts of Mike [Greenberg] and Jackie [Davidson]. It's a puzzle. We have some constraints – there is the cap and all of those things. We've been planning on this for a while. It isn't something that you wake up and decide to do. It's the plan that you have. It's something that, luckily, we have great people working in this organization that are helping us through it."
(On Licht's confidence level that he will be back next week with a few more players signed)
JL: "I'm a confident person in general, so I'm confident that we're going to be putting our best foot forward. We will have more pieces. I can assure you that."
(On Licht sharing that Evans was the first person he sought out after the 2020 NFC Championship Game and what Licht's reaction was when Evans said he wanted to be a 'Buc for life')
JL: "There was a lot of emotion because [throughout] the whole organization, we've been hoping for that moment for a long time. I will share this story… Blair and I were at a charity event for [Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach] Jon Cooper in town. We took a couple hours out of our night to go there, and I was standing at the bar talking to Wayne Gretzky without knowing I was talking to Wayne Gretzky for about two minutes. I had to take a phone call – I think it was Mike [Greenberg] or Jackie [Davidson] who called – I went outside and Deryk [Gilmore] and Darren [Jones] and Mike [Evans] had agreed to terms. I went back in, and I was fist-bumping and all of that and I told Wayne Gretzky that we had just signed Mike back. He said, 'Oh, he's a great one.' I thought that was pretty cool for 'The Great One' to say he's a great one."
ME: "Shout out Wayne Gretzky, man. Wow."
-BUCCANEERS-
