Mike Evans leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was always going to be one of the most painful events for Bucs fans imaginable. Unfortunately, it came to pass this week, with the Bucs legend opting to sign with the San Francisco 49ers and at a very affordable price for Tampa Bay.

Evans made it clear with his decision that the Bucs couldn’t buy him back, that he wanted out and to find a new organization in pursuit of his second career Super Bowl title. From that perspective, the 49ers made sense as a logical destination to chase another ring.

But per Evans on Thursday during his press conference with the media, it went beyond just winning. It was clear that he was looking for a better organization and a better overall football experience.

Mike Evans raved about the organization and coaching as a reason for his move

“It was always going to be hard to leave Tampa, I was there 12 years,” Evans acknowledged. “… Football-wise this was going to be the best spot for me, for sure. I’ve always appreciated how the Niners went about their business on the football field. I’ve got some guys here that have told me some great things about this organization, and I’ve always loved the way Kyle calls games.

“I did my research on a lot of teams that I was looking at. I was looking at contenders, guys with good quarterbacks, obviously. So, I was looking at here, Buffalo Bills, teams that needed a No. 1 wide receiver. I liked this place. This was my No. 1 spot on my own. Then I talked to John [Lynch] and Kyle [Shanahan] and it solidified it more for me.”

Perhaps a shot fired across the bow at the Bucs’ organization and/or Todd Bowles and his coaching staff or not there. But the next comments Evans made that related to the crowd and environment could be tough to hear for Bucs fans.

Evans praised 49ers fans and home environment as a reason for wanting to join San Francisco

“I love money, obviously, like everybody else. But that’s true. The money was not the biggest factor for me. It was just football and something that I can be excited about. I’m super excited. Every time I come to Levi’s Stadium, and I see how the crowd is, and I’ll see the energy that they bring and the rich history of the San Francisco 49ers, it just excites me. So, I feel like it’s given me a second wind in my career, and that’s why I chose to come here.”

I mean, if you take that as anything other than being dissatisfied with less than full crowds at Raymond James Stadium that are often overflowing with visiting fans, then bless you. That is as clear of an indictment on the state of Buccaneer home games and crowd support as it gets.

And that’s not a dig at Evans. It’s understandable to want to be in front of a spotlight franchise like that after over a decade in Tampa Bay. And he’s earned that right to choose.

But it’s a sobering reality to where things stand in Tampa Bay when you compare it to the rest of the league, both when it comes to perceptions by the players of the organization and how it operates, as well as the support it gets from the community.