The San Francisco 49ers' marquee free-agent pickup of the offseason was to land wide receiver Mike Evans.
It was a big-ticket acquisition, and it gained even more notoriety when fans finally got to see the financials: a three-year deal worth up to $42.5 million, $14.3 million of which is guaranteed.
That's not a lot of money for a player of Evans' reputation. If anything, it's a comparative bargain even though he is coming off an injury-plagued 2025 campaign.
However, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud, the future Hall of Fame wide receiver wasn't chasing the money in his recent foray into free agency.
Mike Evans took less money to join 49ers rather than stay with Buccaneers
Stroud spoke with Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht recently, and one of the points that came up was how the Bucs made serious attempts to retain their longstanding veteran who had played for their organization over the entirety of his 12-year career to date.
Including offering more to Evans than what he ultimately received from the Niners:
Jason Licht on Mike Evans leaving for the 49ers. “I feel like we did everything we could. I had a lot of talks with Mike about that,” Licht said. He added the Bucs offer was actually for more money.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 18, 2026
The comparative costs of living between both states makes Evans' choice even more surprising, highlighting his desire to go to a Super Bowl contender with a good head coach and solid quarterback.
While Tampa Bay isn't exactly a franchise rife with inconsistency, San Francisco does appear to have an edge over their NFC counterparts as far as being closer to a Super Bowl.
Plus, as in the case with many aging players, changing things up in the latter stages of a career can be an attractive move.
Either way, the fact Evans took less money to join the 49ers over what he could have received if he stayed with the Buccaneers is quite telling.
And in a good way.
Hat tip to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find.