Would Bringing Back Mike Evans Be a Good Idea for Buccaneers?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have some big free agency decisions to make in 2026. They have 16 unrestricted free agents, three restricted free agents and a club option on one player, so they'll have to figure out exactly who they'll bring back and who they are willing to let walk in free agency.

Jason Licht has his hands full, and it will be interesting to see how he navigates this offseason. For the next two weeks, we're going to look at some of Tampa Bay's most consequential free agents. We'll give you the pros and cons of each potential re-signing, and then we'll deliver the verdict on whether or not we think the Bucs should bring back that player in 2026.

Mike Evans is one of the franchise's most beloved players and has been a productive wideout for 11 seasons now. If he wants to play a 12th, it will likely be in a Buccaneers uniform — but how good of an idea would that be for the Bucs? We break it down below:

Pros of re-signing Mike Evans

Evans remains productive. Despite missing multiple games in 2025 due to a hamstring injury and broken collarbone, Evans showcased his dominance in a few outings, putting up 132 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in their second matchup. Evans is an excellent X receiver whose height and physicality offer a unique skillset to the receiving room, making him an elite deep ball threat. He's an underrated route runner, too.

Most of all, though, Evans is beloved by Bucs fans everywhere. He's a franchise legend, and perhaps the biggest pro to bringing him back is seeing him in a Buccaneers uniform for another year.

Cons of re-signing Mike Evans

That all being said, Evans is getting older. He'll be 33 years old when the 2026 season rolls around, and his age is already showing. Evans has had lingering hamstring problems throughout his career and has typically been able to play through it — these last two years, however, he's missed eight weeks (seven games) of action due to a hamstring issue in the past two years, putting his health in question for 2026 and beyond.

Finally, were Evans to return, he'd cost a lot of money. Evans made $26 million APY on his last deal, and if he were to make money similar to that with his next contract, the Bucs would certainly be strapped for cash.

The verdict

Much like Lavonte David, this is conditional. If Evans is willing to take a bit of a hometown discount to keep playing football for the Bucs, it would make a ton of sense to bring him back — he's still shown he's productive and offers a needed archetype for the offense, and he remains a fan favorite in Tampa Bay. However, there's some concern with how much he's going to cost. If he costs too much, money that could be used to shore up depth and help a defense that really needs it might be wasted on bringing Evans back.

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