Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are stuck with each other for the remainder of the 2023 season. For the second time this year, the New York Jets inquired about the receiver, and the Bucs turned them away.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Jets made calls about Evans, the Las Vegas Raiders' Davante Adams and the Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins. New York is sitting at 4-3 in a crowded AFC East and has one of the NFL's best defenses.

In an attempt to bolster its receiving corps to help quarterback Zach Wilson and alleviate the attention on receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets sought out a veteran No. 1 receiver. Evans made perfect sense. He was publicly frustrated with his contract and decided to end negotiations once the Bucs didn't extend him. That prompted Jets general manager Joe Douglas to call down to Florida in August.

The call was brief, the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud reported. Tampa Bay said Evans wasn't available, and the two sides didn't broach the matter again.

That was until the 11th hour of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. Just when it appeared a foregone conclusion that no one would reach out and Evans would simply play out the final year of the a five-year, $82.5 million contract extension, Douglas came calling again.

And Tampa Bay, which has dropped to third in the NFC South after three consecutive losses, said no deal two months after the initial ask.

Evans wasn't the only receiver the Jets attempted to pry away from their current team. New York also asked the Raiders about Adams, who has become more visibly frustrated each week, and the Bengals about Higgins, who is on pace for his worst season since entering the NFL in 2020.

2023 - 2024 season

Player	Yds	Tgt	Rec	TD
M. Evans O TB - WR	1,255	136	79	13
D. Adams Q NYJ - WR	1,144	175	103	8
T. Higgins Q CIN - WR	656	76	42	5

Both Las Vegas (3-5) and Cincinnati (4-3) said their respective receivers weren't available for trade. The Raiders' position could stem from the eventual firing of former head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler on Tuesday night.

In every way, Las Vegas is trending down, whereas Cincinnati is on the upswing. Some of Higgins' numbers could be attributed to playing with an unhealthy Joe Burrow to start the season. Now that the Bengals quarterback is healthy, though, Cincinnati is trying to claw its way out of the AFC North basement.

The Jets will have to make do with what they have, while the Bucs and Raiders are likely waiting until the end of this season to assess the situation and their potential moves.