The door to an extension deal between the Tampa Bay Buccaneer and star wide receiver Mike Evans isn't yet entirely closed, but the chances of such an agreement aren't looking high at the moment, especially after it's been reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz that the two camps are still not seeing each other eye to eye.

“The #Buccaneers had a soft deadline today to get an extension done with Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans, but both sides remain far apart, sources say. Tampa Bay is set to take on $7.4M in 2024 dead money by not getting a deal done today. @BleacherReport. Talks will continue, but my understanding is Evans is trending toward becoming a free agent, barring an unexpected change in discussions.”

The expectation remains that the star wideout will eventually part ways with the only team he has played so far in his NFL career via free agency. There shouldn't be a shortage of suitors for the services of the hulking wide receiver. Evans just finished the 2023 NFL season with 1,255 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 17 games to extend his streak to 10 seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards, which basically covers his entire pro career.

The Buccaneers restructured Evans' contract, resulting in $12.198 million dead money for the team in the 2024 NFL season and gets hit with a $7.4 million worth of cap space loss due to a failure to agree on an extenstion deal with the former Texas A&M Aggies star.

Evans was taken by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft (seventh overall).