Latest Update on Mike Evans Might Concern Buccaneers Fans

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly want Mike Evans to play football for them in 2026. Evans is a franchise legend and has spent 12 years with the team, and both fans and general manager Jason Licht would love nothing more than to see him back in red and pewter to close out his career.

There are business decisions that would come with that, however. And while both fans and Tampa Bay's front office love Evans, there are a lot of things to consider on both sides that could make a continued tenure with the Buccaneers difficult.

Mike Evans could be set to test free agency

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) warms up before a game against the New York Jets | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

ESPN's Buccaneers beat writer, Jenna Laine, wrote in a recent article that Evans intends to test free agency this season — and that the Buccaneers would like to grant him that opportunity.

"Evans has said that he wants to be a "Buc for life," but when his agent, Deryk Gilmore, told ESPN this week that Evans would be playing football in 2026, the message was that he would be exploring his options in free agency. That does not mean Evans won't be back in Tampa, but there's a process that needs to occur," Laine wrote. "Could the Bucs franchise tag Evans? Technically, yes, but the feeling inside the organization is that Evans has given 12 seasons to the team, and he deserves to have agency over where he spends the remaining years of his career."

There is also the matter of financials. Evans could want a premier deal higher than the one he just played on, which gave him $20,5 million APY. The Buccaneers' roster is loaded with holes on defense and could have some on offense after free agency departures, and if the Bucs truly want to contend and "reload" as opposed to rebuilding, Evans may simply be a luxury they cannot afford.

Evans turns 33 when the season starts, but despite that, he still played at a high level in 2025 — when he was healthy. Evans has been battling hamstring injuries that have kept him out for seven total games the past two years, and he also suffered a nasty collarbone break that caused him to miss even more time on top of that last year. The Bucs will eventually have to get younger, and they'll ask themselves whether or not they want Evans back with that in mind.

Despite all that, though, Evans is one of Tampa Bay's most identifiable players and has already said he wants to be a "Buc for life." If both sides could get a deal done, all parties would be pleased — we'll just have to see how it goes.

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