The Bucs expect to lose a valuable player to the Bears for $82.5 million.
When it comes to NFL free agency, few cases will be more intriguing this offseason than Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, who is 30 years old and coming off his tenth consecutive 1,000-yard season.
He's as much of an icon as any player in Buccaneers history, having been chosen and groomed by the organization and witnessing the Bucs go through four coaches and four primary starting quarterbacks throughout his time.
However, ESPN predicts that Evans will make his final run with the Buccaneers. The publication predicts that the Chicago Bears will sign Evans after the team's impending postseason run.
Bears will utilize the first selection to draft a new quarterback and then invest in that quarterback by signing Mike Evans, one of the best free agent wide outs.
Evans has ten consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and would work well with DJ Moore in this offense," noted analyst Aaron Schatz on the site.
The biggest concern for the Buccaneers and Evans will be how much money he can get in NFL free agency. He is 30, which typically reduces a player's worth.
However, that has not been the case for wide receivers, as proven by Davante Adams' five-year, $140 million contract with the Raiders.
Evans is coming off a five-year, $82.5 million deal that he signed in 2018. Spotrac expects him to sign a four-year, $96 million contract.
Buccaneers anticipate losing a star player worth $82.5 million to the Bears.