For the first time in his career, Mike Evans will catch passes for another team – and the optics for the Bucs organization are not great right now. Despite Tampa Bay adding three key veteran pieces so far and potentially a fourth coming soon, morale among the fan base has understandably not been raised high enough.

No one is ever going to replace Evans, and it is one thing if he had left for the $22-24 million per year that some insiders reported he was likely to command on the open market. Instead, Evans took just $14.13 million per year with only $16.3 million guaranteed to sign with the 49ers.

That only twists the knife for Bucs fans who have watched M1K3’s greatness in red and pewter and even creamsicle orange.

Legendary Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: IMAGN Images

Turns out, it was never about the money.

It was about an opportunity to win and get a high volume of targets. Even for a consistent future Hall of Famer, neither of those were likely to come with the Bucs in 2026 after finishing 8-9 in 2025 and with Evans’ target share declining when he was on the field with wide receivers Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan, among others.

The aftermath of such a move will never truly sit well with the fan base, but ultimately, who is most to blame for what transpired?

From Mike Evans Never Leaving Tampa Bay To Being Frustrated With Bucs

It was on January 5, 2025, that Mike Evans shared with reporters that he made the right decision re-signing with the Bucs.

On that day, Evans had arguably the best moment at Raymond James Stadium outside of the team’s 2020 Super Bowl win at the venue. One might recall Evans catching a nine-yard pass from Baker Mayfield with 36 seconds left to get him over the 1,000-yard mark for the 11th straight season in a row.

After signing a two-year deal before the 2024 season to stay in Tampa Bay, he was ecstatic about sticking around.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It feels great,” Evans said about his decision. “I mean, I probably was never going to leave Tampa anyway. The business part took over a little bit, but I’m happy to be here and I definitely made the right decision.”

What changed in the 14 months that followed?

The good vibes between the organization and the player were likely there until October 26, 2025. After the Bucs beat the Saints (again) 23-3, they were 6-2. After climbing up the hill to the top of the NFC, it was a slippery slope filled with bumps and bruises on the way down.

Such a hot start failed to produce even a playoff appearance, with the team failing to get back on the right track when they had several chances to. Evans missing time to injury did not help matters, but ultimately, this was the time where he realized the situation around him was not as sunny as it once appeared to be.

The offensive coordinator swap from Liam Coen to Josh Grizzard played a factor, as although it appeared promising to stay in-house, Grizzard did not scheme up ways to get his best players the ball the same way, especially late in the season.

The final straw was likely on December 11, 2025, when the Falcons came to town on Thursday night.

Less than a year after Evans was filled with joy and gratitude leaving the field, he was filled with anger and frustration. Tampa Bay’s defense was floundering and the unit’s ineptitude turned into the kind of running joke no one laughs about.

Former Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

After holding a lead for much of the game, the Bucs were well on their way to turning things around when head coach Todd Bowles’ defense allowed a 14-yard pass on a third-and-28, followed by a conversion on fourth-and-14 that would set Atlanta up to kick a game-winning field goal to come away with a 29-28 victory.

It was the most livid Evans has ever appeared on the football field (outside of fighting former Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore), and what ensued after that game were two more losses where he had just five catches for 31 yards and three catches for 31 yards, serving as the third or fourth option in the passing game when he should have been the focal point.

All of that contributed to it not being a sure thing he would come back, and after once sharing his desire to be a “Buccaneer for life,” Evans finds himself on the west coast trading in one shade of red for another with the 49ers.

Why Fans Blame Todd Bowles For Mike Evans Leaving The Bucs

So, who is to blame for things going south and reaching this point?

It is not the simplest equation, but the most common denominator – as voted on by Pewter Report fans – is head coach Todd Bowles.

After analyzing the poll, it is telling that 48.4% of the 2,654 votes pinpoint Bowles as the one the fan base is most upset with.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Usually in moves like this, it is the case of ownership not wanting to pony up the money to sign an aging player, the general manager deciding to chart a different course to build the roster, or the player’s pursuit of financial security taking importance above all else.

Even with some criticism of the Glazers’ financial investment, none of those factors were really at play. It says something that Jason Licht finished last on this poll with just 9.8% of the votes, as he was always going to do everything in his power to sign his first ever draft pick – even offering a more lucrative contract, which he did.

What is suggested, and holds merit, here is that Bowles and the Glazers finishing first and second go hand-in-hand.

After just about everyone called for a change at head coach following a 2-7 finish where it seemed like just about everything went wrong, the Glazers decided not to fire Bowles and stick with him.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and co-owner Joel Glazer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It has been shared that “they love him” and believe he is the right man for the job – results notwithstanding. The widely unpopular move, no matter how one slices it, is not the kind that evokes confidence heading into next season.

That falls back on the Bowles, whose approval rating is about as high right now as President Herbert Hoover’s was during The Great Depression. Even his most ardent supporters have acknowledged his flaws, especially on the defensive side of the football.

It has been a long time since his defense was even at an average level, and that is supposed to be his specialty. His refusal to acknowledge schematic issues – even defending his complex scheme at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine – was telling.

While never overly popular, at least things seemed to be on the right track for Bowles during the first half of the season. The fact things went so off the rails after a promising 6-2 start with Bowles as the conductor does not make the results of this poll surprising.

There is really no other way to look at Mike Evans leaving than to agree with the fans, as it is easy to see why they point to Todd Bowles. Rather than continuing to sail on a ship with holes letting in water, Evans has found a comfortable yacht in San Francisco with head coach and offensive play-caller Kyle Shanahan where he knows he will be welcomed and treated like royalty.

Who can blame him?