Mike Evans’ future in the NFL and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been a focus at times heading into the offseason, but his agent made it seem like the wide receiver will return for the 2026 campaign.

“Mike started the season in great shape,” Deryk Gilmore said Sunday, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “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.”

These comments come after Evans hinted he could return toward the end of the 2025 campaign.

“Someone was just thanking me for all I’ve done, and kind of just writing me off like I’m done after this,” he told reporters. “But I don’t know, we’ll see… it’s always a possibility.”

ESPN’s Jenna Laine noted Tampa Bay honored Evans during its regular-season finale by giving away bobbleheads it called “a tribute to his legendary career and commitment to Tampa Bay.”

That, along with his contract status, made the end of the season feel like something of a finale for the veteran wide receiver. After all, the 32-year-old is scheduled to head into free agency should the Buccaneers decide not to bring him back, and retirement remains a possibility.

Injuries limiting him to just eight games this past season also put his veteran status under the spotlight, although he will remain a Buccaneers legend regardless of whether he returns for next season or beyond.

The No. 7 overall pick of the 2014 NFL draft wasted no time establishing himself as a go-to option with more than 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. That was the first of 11 straight years with more than 1,000 receiving yards, and it took him missing nine games in 2025 to snap that streak.

If Evans does decide to hang up the cleats, the Buccaneers have a number of young wide receivers to help fill the void in the coming years. Emeka Egbuka looked like a star in the making at times as a rookie, while Tez Johnson and Jalen McMillan can provide important depth for the foreseeable future.

Ultimately, Tampa Bay may have to weigh the depth of the position and overall cost with Evans with what he means to the organization if he does decide to return. But all eyes will be on him until he does.