The odds are reportedly in favor of longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans continuing to play in 2026 regardless of how his free agency plays out.

According to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, linebacker Lavonte David has said that he will retire if the Bucs don’t re-sign him, but “those closest” to Evans have said he is “less likely” to retire.

Laine added that Evans has yet to discuss his future with the Buccaneers ahead of free agency.

Evans, 32, has spent his entire 12-year NFL career in Tampa after going seventh overall in the 2014 NFL draft out of Texas A&M.

He has carved out a potential Hall of Fame career for himself, earning six Pro Bowl selections and one Super Bowl win, while racking up 866 receptions for 13,052 yards and 108 touchdowns in 176 career NFL regular-season games.

Evans reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first 11 NFL seasons, which is an NFL record to start a career. His 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons is also tied with the legendary Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history.

The streak came to an end in 2025, though, as a hamstring injury and a broken clavicle limited him to just eight games.

Evans finished with 30 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns, all of which represented career lows.

On top of that, the Bucs missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record, marking the first time they failed to reach the postseason since 2019.

Evans is the Bucs’ all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, but it is far from guaranteed that he will be back in 2026.

Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson are all under contract for the Buccaneers at wideout next season.

Godwin has reached the 1,000-yard mark four times in his career, while Egbuka, McMillan and Johnson are all promising players set to enter either their second or third NFL season.

If Evans does leave Tampa Bay, he will arguably be the best wide receiver available in free agency, and he could perhaps be had at a lower salary and on a shorter-term deal than the likes of Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs.