Emeka Egbuka reacts to Mike Evans joining the 49ers

Injuries limited new San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans during his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, opening the door for first-year wideout Emeka Egbuka to take on a larger role. He capitalized, finishing his rookie campaign with 63 receptions for 938 yards and six touchdowns.

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."