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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
Once you get past how utterly bizarre it would be to see Mike Evans playing for anyone but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it won’t be long before you come to the realization there’s probably already a line forming to land the record-setting NFL All-Pro wide receiver and Super Bowl champion.
Just days after Evans confirmed he was going to return for a 13th NFL season in 2026, speculation was already running rampant about where Evans might land as a free agent.
One team in particular seemed to catch fire in terms of rumors after dealing with some unexpected adversity, with the Kansas City Chiefs topping a list of “Top Landing Spots” for Evans from Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton.
The Chiefs freed up almost an extra $70 million in salary cap space on Wednesday by restructuring 2-time NFL MVP and 3-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes‘ contract.
“Although the Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 season, they are likely to bounce back if Mahomes goes through a smooth recovery from a torn ACL,” Moton wrote. “In over a decade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Evans hasn’t played with a quarterback in the same stratosphere as Mahomes in terms of playmaking ability, which may be the biggest draw for him to sign with Kansas City.”
Chiefs Facing Controversy Over WR1 Spot
The Chiefs have relied on the NFL’s most unreliable WR1 the last 2 years as Rashee Rice has only played in 12 games over the last 2 seasons due to injuries and a 6-game suspension to open the 2025 season.
Rice could be facing further punishment from the NFL in the near future after he was accused of assault by an ex-girlfriend in a civil lawsuit on Thursday.
From ESPN: “An ex-girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice has filed a lawsuit in Texas alleging he repeatedly assaulted her during an 18-month span from 2023 to 2025. Dacoda Jones, who said she was pregnant during many of the alleged assaults, is seeking more than $1 million. Jones alleges that Rice strangled her in December 2023 and exhibited a history of abusive behavior through the relationship in Texas and Missouri until July 2025.”
Evans Cleared Air On Retirement Rumors
Evans put all retirement rumors to rest on Tuesday.
“WR Mike Evans WILL return in 2026,” ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin wrote on her official X account on Tuesday. “His agents Deryk Gilmore + Darren Jones tell me the future HOFer will play this upcoming season — and *will* explore his free agency options. One of the league’s most consistent playmakers will be back — but we’ll see if it’ll be w/ the Bucs.”
Evans set the NFL record for most consecutive seasons to start a career with 1,000 receiving yards and tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice with 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards in 2024.
Evans, who will turn 33 years old in August, is coming off his worst season as a pro — a year in which he missed a career-high 9 games and saw his record streak of 1,000-yard seasons come to an end as the Buccaneers missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2019.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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