Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans played the 2025 campaign on the final year of his contract.
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If the Buccaneers do not extend his contract before the start of the new league year, Evans will enter free agency.
Evans, a 2014 first-round pick out of Texas A&M, has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers. He suffered two significant injuries (hamstring, broken clavicle) last season, only appearing in eight games for Tampa Bay.
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Evans caught 30 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns.
With 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. on the roster, the Buccaneers could decide to let Evans walk in free agency and use that salary on other positions for a team that failed to reach the playoffs.
During an episode of The Athletic’s “Scoop City” released on Thursday, NFL insider Jesse Palmer suggested the Buccaneers believe they can keep Evans in 2026. They hope Evans can team up with Egbuka and Godwin to give a healthy quarterback Baker Mayfield an opportunity to have an explosive year.
“The one thing that I would add to that, too, is talking to some people down there,” Palmer said. “Baker Mayfield just was not healthy the second half of the season, just so banged up…
“Mike (Jones), well I’m fascinated to see what happens. But they were like, ‘We’re stoked, man, because we have Baker healthy. Emeka Egbuka learned all three positions as a rookie. Godwin, we think is going to be back to himself.’ And then the interesting one was, ‘And then we still have Mike’. And I’m like, still have Mike? Is he? Is he coming back? Okay, let’s see.”
It appears the Buccaneers have a plan to try and keep Evans on the roster.
Evans, 32, has appeared in 176 games and started 175. He recorded 866 receptions for 13,052 yards and three touchdowns.
Evans has earned two second-team All-Pro honors. He’s earned six Pro Bowl nominations. He’d be another key piece to help elevate the Buccaneers back into the playoff race.
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