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Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff Writer
TAMPA, Fla. — Wide receiver Mike Evans says he is “extremely confident” that Baker Mayfield will be back in Tampa Bay, despite the quarterback and agent Tom Mills still trying to work out a deal to re-sign with the Buccaneers.
The NFL’s negotiation period opens Monday, when other teams will be permitted to contact Mayfield and attempt to sign him.
“I mean, I’m extremely confident,” Evans said Friday. “I’m not 100 percent, but he played really great for us last year, the city took him in, the players loved him — hopefully we get him back. But he should do what’s best for him.”
Evans officially re-signed with the Buccaneers on Friday, with sources telling ESPN this week that the wide receiver reached a two-year contract with a base value of $41 million and a possible maximum of $52 million.
He said he checked in with Mayfield while contemplating his next steps and said it did play a role in him coming back for an 11th season in Tampa Bay.
“Me and Baker, we played one season together. I feel like we can build on what we did last year, so hopefully we get him back,” said Evans, who was on the receiving end of 13 touchdown passes from Mayfield. “He’s a hell of a player. I appreciate him. They’re going to handle their process, and I trust [GM] Jason [Licht] and the front office no matter what happens.”
If Mayfield doesn’t return? Evans said, “I know I can play with whoever’s at quarterback. Obviously I hope it’s Baker, but if not, I can make it work.”
Licht said the sides have “had good conversations” when asked about discussions with Mayfield’s camp.
Sources have told ESPN that the negotiations have been moving along “slowly,” but with no indication of any hiccups. Licht said he is prepared to be “on-call” throughout the weekend as the Buccaneers work to re-sign not only Mayfield but also inside linebacker Lavonte David, the team’s longest-tenured player at 12 seasons.
“I just want what’s best for him,” Evans said of Mayfield. “I think what’s best for him would be to play with me and Chris [Godwin], but there’s a lot of great receivers in this league that could use his services as well.”
Licht said they feel they have a “pretty good idea” on which teams will try to pursue Mayfield. He said the key with all their free agents is to “remain patient” and “not panic,” even if they do test the market, which is what Evans had planned to do before a conversation with his wife last Friday ultimately prompted him to stay.
Evans had entered the 2023 season frustrated that he and his agents, Deryk Gilmore and Darren Jones, weren’t able to reach an extension after two years of negotiations. Evans said he wished he would have handled that differently — without expectation.
“When you go into something expecting something, it hurts a little more when it doesn’t go your way,” Evans said. “So I went into it the wrong way, and then I shouldn’t have did that. … I was like, ‘I’m buying the house, I’m doing this, I’m doing that.’ And then they didn’t talk at all. So I was like, ‘All right, I shouldn’t have did that.'”
Evans also said he should have factored in the Buccaneers’ financial limitations last year. Tampa Bay had $81.5 million in dead money last season according to the team — the highest of any club in the NFL.
“I know the business of it, and I know it’s not just — if they had the cap to do it, they would’ve obviously done it,” Evans said. “But I know that those things play a factor, and I didn’t even take that into account at all.”