Todd Bowles Confident in Buccaneers WR Room Even Without Mike Evans

Todd Bowles offered a vote of confidence in the players who will be tasked with stepping up for the Buccaneeers in Mike Evans' absence.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (14) celebrates with wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were dealt a massive blow when the greatest offensive weapon in the history of the franchise, WR MIke Evans, signed with the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason.

The loss of Evans extends far beyond the nostalgia that comes from a player spending an entire decade with one NFL team — 12 years, in the case of Evans. The loss of Evans hurts because he is still such a good football player.

With the NFL Owners Meetings happening in Phoenix this week, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles sat down with the hosts of Good Morning Football to discuss a variety of topics. Chief among them, of course, was the unexpected departure of Evans.

Mike Evans will be sorely missed in Tampa Bay

Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) runs to the line of scrimmage before a play against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"That was tough. He's the best of the best on and off the field," Bowles said. "I can't say enough good things about him. They got a great one, as they know. We know how great he was. Very hard to see him leave sentimentally and professionally from that standpoint for me and everybody else involved."

Bowles' comments about Evans speak volumes about the impact that Mike had on the franchise. That being said, what he had to say about the team's current WR core speaks just as loudly about how confident he is in them to step up in Mike's absence.

Bucs WR room is ready to step up in 2026

Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Devin Culp (82) celebrates with wide receiver Jalen McMillan (11) and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"We got a lot of guys that can step up in that room with Emeka [Egbuka] and [Chris] Godwin coming back healthy," Bowles said. "We got [Jalen McMillan] coming back healthy, Tez [Johnson] after a full season. So we feel confident that we have those guys, but make no mistake about it, we'll miss the presence of that guy."

Although the Buccaneers are now without a dominant X receiver for the first time in 12 years, they do still possess an impressive collection of multi-faceted receivers. Egbuka and Godwin are both extremely versatile and interchangeable in terms of how they can be deployed. Tez Johnson, despite his modest stature, is a legitimate downfield threat, and he will be expected to make a big leap in year two. Jalen McMillan is another talented receiver that the team is very high on.

So even if the Buccaneers choose not to address the WR position in the early rounds of this year's draft, they've still got plenty of quality depth to work with. And without Mike Evans in the fold for 2026, each of those players will be relied upon heavily to ensure the Buccaneers' offense can improve on last season.

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