Buccaneers GM Jason Licht denies rumors that Todd Bowles drove Mike Evans from Tampa Bay

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay's franchise wide receiver for 12 seasons, left the Buccaneers earlier in March to sign with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. 

Evans had been with the organization since being drafted seventh overall in 2014. His departure immediately triggered debate, with many pointing to head coach Todd Bowles and the team's painful Week 15 collapse against the Atlanta Falcons as the real force behind Evans' exit.

The Buccaneers blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead that December night, losing 29-28 in a game that left Evans visibly distraught. He walked into the stadium tunnel before the game-winning kick, slamming his helmet and screaming "Third-and-28!" repeatedly.

On Wednesday, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht met with local reporters specifically to confront those theories. His position was firm: the Bowles narrative does not hold.

Jason Licht pushes back hard against the Todd Bowles theory after Mike Evans' exit

The theory in question suggested Evans had grown frustrated with Bowles' defensive failures and used free agency as an exit. Licht, who has run Tampa Bay's front office since 2014, rejected it completely.

There was a clear reason the narrative gained traction. Evans had just returned from a broken collarbone that Week 15 night and still managed six catches for 132 yards, only to watch the defense collapse in the final moments.

"I feel pretty strongly that — I've seen that theory — but that's not it. A lot of people were frustrated and Mike was frustrated, as competitive as he is, but nothing was ever directed," Licht said, per ESPN's Jenna Laine.