Money doesn’t buy everything.
At least not for veteran wide receiver Mike Evans, who signed with the 49ers in free agency after spending his entire 12-year NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht spoke publicly to the media about Evans’ departure for the first time on Wednesday, stating he doesn’t feel “betrayed” by Evans’ decision.
Licht also revealed that Evans accepted less money to pack his bags and move West to join the 49ers this offseason, adding that he believes the 32-year-old simply wanted “a new challenge.”
Evans won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2020, but the team failed to defend its title or get past the divisional round of the playoffs in the seasons following.
Licht stated that he felt “like we did everything we could” to convince Evans to stay in Tampa.
“We made a significantly higher offer [than the 49ers] and that was just the first offer,” Licht said (h/t ESPN’s Jenna Laine).
But perhaps 49ers star tight end George Kittle’s words were more persuasive than the dollar signs.
While speaking to Bay Area media for the first time via Zoom last week, Evans revealed that Kittle was the “biggest salesman” who convinced him to sign with San Francisco.
“George sold it big time,” Evans said. “He’s a big reason why I’m here, because of the type of player and teammate he is.”
It appears figuratively and literally that Kittle’s words are priceless.
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