Todd Bowles Addresses Mike Evans's Future With Bucs Ahead of Free Agency

The receiver is planning to look at his options during free agency.

Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans will test free agency this offseason. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Mike Evans just finished up his 12th NFL season, all of which have been played for the Buccaneers. He’s been a steadily strong player for Tampa Bay over a decade, but the team could be playing without the receiver in 2026.

Evans is set to become a free agent this offseason, although he’s still open to returning to the Buccaneers. And, the Bucs would love to have him back, coach Todd Bowles made that much clear on Tuesday when speaking to NFL on CBS at the NFL combine. But, Evans intends on looking at his options before making a decision.

Read Here: Mike Evans’s Best Landing Spots in NFL Free Agency

“We'd love to have Mike back. He knows how we feel about him, we think the world of him,” Bowles said with some emphasis. “He’s been in Tampa his whole career, but when you’ve played that long, you’ve earned the right to look around and see what’s out there. There’s nothing we can do about that. ... We hope and pray he comes back. At the same time, if you’re looking at the glass half empty, and it all fell out, you begrudgingly have to move on even though you don’t want to, because Mike’s a special person.

“We definitely want him back, and hopefully it works out.”

Todd Bowles on the possibility of Mike Evans returning to the Buccaneers in 2026.

"We'd love to have Mike back...hopefully it works out."

🎙️: @BMac_SportsTalk pic.twitter.com/Q2eRtmEVqF

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 24, 2026

Bowles selfishly wants Evans to return to Tampa Bay, but he also sounds very understanding as to why Evans plans to explore free agency at this point in his career. We’ll see where Evans ends up for the 2026 season, and if the landing spot is in Bowles’s favor or not.

Evans is coming off his statistically worst season as he missed time because of injuries. His 11-year streak at least 1,000 receiving yards ended because of the time he missed. His broken collarbone he suffered in October was a big reason why he chose not to retire, though, as the time off made him miss football even more.

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