Entering the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had high hopes of once again getting to the playoffs and potentially winning a Super Bowl.
Those goals seemed attainable early, but injuries, QB Baker Mayfield’s struggles, and coaching issues conspired to keep the Buccaneers on the outside looking in once the postseason arrived.
The Buccaneers will naturally be focused on preventing a repeat in 2026, but they may have to embark on that quest without star WR and franchise legend Mike Evans, who played out the final year of his latest contract in 2025.
Mike Evans’ Agent Speaks on the Star WR’s Future in the NFL
With the offseason having arrived weeks ago for most teams, many are already well into their assessment of their rosters, including potential free agents. For the Buccaneers, Evans, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the beginning of the new league year in March, is of utmost priority.
Evans will turn 33 in August, so the star WR’s future is in question. Tampa Bay is looking to determine whether Evans will continue playing, and if so, whether there is mutual interest between him and the only team he’s ever suited up for.
According to Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, Evans doesn’t appear to have any intentions of retiring, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo:
“Mike started the season in great shape. Most people in the organization said he probably had the best camp of everyone. He finished feeling better than he has in several seasons. I think his competitive nature leads to more football. That is my hope. Like most fans, I love watching him play!”
Just talked Mike Evans’ future on @NFLGameDay. Here’s the quote from his agent Deryk Gilmore to The Insiders indicating his longtime client has more football in him. pic.twitter.com/aDY0ytcvMv
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 8, 2026
From what it seems, Evans returning to the NFL is more likely than not. The next question is whether he plays in Tampa Bay.
Currently, according to PFSN’s Top 100 2026 NFL Free Agent Rankings, Evans is ranked as the 13th-best free agent available. He will have suitors throughout the league, and contenders that have a need at his position will see him as a top target.
Still, Evans remaining with the Buccaneers, the team that selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, just makes too much sense, especially if the team reloads around him in a quest to get back into the postseason.
