For a minute there it looked like we would be talking about Blaine Gabbert or Kyle Trask starting for the Bucs in 2022. Then Tom Brady swooped in and saved the day with his return. That return shocked the NFL world right before free agency started. Fans, media and players alike were stunned at the announcement. Recently, wide receiver Mike Evans spoke about Brady during a charity Esports competition to raise money for HBCUs.

“The day of, when he announced,” Evans said. “I just thought he was trolling me when he texted me. Then he texted me and Chris (Godwin) and I was like, ‘oh s**t, he’s back!”

Evans took time to answer fans questions while playing Fortnite in the competition. He talked about his disdain for long plane rides, saying he’s not looking forward to playing in Germany. Evans also didn’t care much for the team’s trip to London in 2019. Evans revealed Lavonte David is his favorite player on the Bucs defense because of how long they’ve been together. He also said that the Raiders new stadium is his favorite place to play other than Raymond James.

New Bucs WR Russell Gage and S Antoine Winfield, Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Teammate Chris Godwin recently recalled how he and Evans admired new wide receiver Russell Gage’s game for years. Evans echoed those thoughts as well.

“Russ is going to be a nice addition,” Evans said. “I always liked his game, man. He’s got a lot of juice and he competes.”

Evans also said Bucs fans were “awesome” for their recent donations to the Evans Family Foundation. After Evans restructured his contract yet again, fans donated $13 to the charity as a way of thanking Evans. The campaign raised over $50,ooo. Evans made sure to let the fans know that he didn’t take a pay cut, but just received his money up front. Nonetheless, he was grateful for their contributions. It’s easy to see why Evans is such a fan favorite in Tampa Bay.