After the season, Evans pursued a new opportunity—turning down a more lucrative offer from Tampa Bay to join the 49ers. Despite the departure, Egbuka expressed strong support for his former teammate this week.
"We're really close," Egbuka said, via Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated. "I'm just really happy for him that he found a home that he feels confident and comfortable in. He's going to continue to do good things. We're just all so proud of him, there's no hard feelings or anything like that. Everyone loves him at the Bucs."
With Evans gone, Egbuka will continue to be quarterback Baker Mayfield's top target in the Buccaneers' offense. Meanwhile, Evans joins a 49ers unit featuring tight end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey, and wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk, all catching passes from quarterback Brock Purdy.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles also recently said Evans would be missed, but that there were no hard feelings from the organization.
"It was a huge loss," Bowles said. "Everybody felt it—somebody that's been with the organization forever and holds all the records offensively. "And the presence he had on and off the field to all the guys on the team, that was a big blow from that standpoint, but we understand. He got himself in a position to make that type of decision, and we had to respect that as well."
Evans spent 12 seasons in Tampa Bay, recording at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 campaigns. As he enters his 13th NFL season, the veteran wideout remains motivated to prove he can still perform at an elite level.
"I always feel like I've got to prove something," Evans said. "I always feel like I can be better. And I want to show that I'm still who people believe that I am, and that's one of the best to ever do it."
Related News
Nobody's perfect. Did you find a mistake in this article? Report it.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Kyle Shanahan on 49ers WR Mike Evans: 'I haven't had many guys like that'
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is excited about the possibilities veteran wide receiver Mike Evans brings to his offense. On Thursday, Shanahan did not hide his enthusiasm as he discussed the unique traits Evans brings to the team. "Mike's a Hall-of-Fame... -
Christian McCaffrey reacts to 49ers wanting to reduce his workload
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey logged 932 offensive snaps last season, accounting for 83 percent of the team's offensive plays—his highest snap count since 2019. His 413 touches led the NFL. McCaffrey made the most of those opportunities, totaling 2,126... -
49ers QB Brock Purdy proved unlucky in one category by PFF
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw 13 interceptions during his injury-shortened 2025 season, including the playoffs. According to analytics site Pro Football Focus (PFF), only 12 of his passes were deemed turnover-worthy, yet nine of those throws resulted in... -
USA Today predicts 49ers record for 2026
Last season, the San Francisco 49ers finished with an impressive 12-5 record, despite many injuries to key players. Some injuries, like those to Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Ricky Pearsall, lasted multiple weeks. But there were more devastating ones, like the season-ending...