Bucs take on over $14 million in dead money as Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield contracts void
Wide receiver Mike Evans and quarterback Baker Mayfield may not be back with the Bucs in 2024, but they will be part of their salary cap calculations either way.
The contracts of both players void on Monday and the team will take on around $14.5 million in dead money as a result. That money was spread over multiple voidable years in order to lower the cap hit in earlier seasons.
Safety Antoine Winfield's contract also voids Monday and that will leave another $1 million-plus in dead cap space.
Evans' contract is responsible for most of the dead money as he had nearly $12.2 million in money tied up in void years. If the Bucs had signed him to a new deal before the contract voided, they would have avoided more than $7 million of the dead money but Evans remains on track for free agency.
The dead money will remain on the cap even if the players return to Tampa for the 2024 season. Multiple reports indicate that talks with Evans on a new deal will continue ahead of free agency and the team can use a franchise tag on one of the players, although the $28.4 million cost for using it on Evans may make that a long shot.
