The addition of veteran wide receiver Mike Evans was one of the biggest moves of the offseason for the San Francisco 49ers. However, the decision to leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers caught at least one of Evans' longtime teammates completely by surprise.

Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin admitted that he initially thought reports of Evans signing with the 49ers were fake.


"Honestly, I didn't believe it," Godwin said. "There's a bunch of stuff on the internet that you can't really believe—a lot of AI stuff. So, I didn't really believe it, and then, I texted [Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield]. I was like, 'Yo, is this for real?' And he was like, sad face."

While disappointed to see Evans leave Tampa Bay, Godwin understands the realities of the NFL and believes his former teammate will thrive in San Francisco.

"I think it's part of the game, unfortunately," Godwin continued. "I mean, we all know what Mike has meant to this community and this organization. That's my brother, and I wish him the best in his time in San Fran. I'm sure that they know what kind of player that they're getting."


Evans is entering his 13th NFL season after spending the first 12 years of his career with the Buccaneers, who selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

The veteran receiver has built one of the most consistent careers in NFL history. Evans eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons and fell short of that milestone only once, during an injury-shortened 2025 campaign.


The 49ers' receiving corps underwent significant changes this offseason. San Francisco lost Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, and Skyy Moore in free agency, while Brandon Aiyuk is expected to be released before the start of the season.

To bolster the position, the 49ers signed Evans and Christian Kirk and used their top draft selection on wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling.

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