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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
There’s a trio of AFC teams that seem to be in the hunt for beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
Only 1 seems to meet the criteria Evans himself set for his next destination — an actual contender — if he’s really willing to leave the 1 team he’s played his whole career with.
According to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports, the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders are in the hunt for Evans. According to BetMGM, it’s the New England Patriots leading the way, with Evans predicted to land a 2-year, $30 million contract.
Any one of those 3 would probably help the Buccaneers in a big way — not having to face Evans at any point in their NFC schedule.
“RUMORS: The Raiders and Titans are among the teams interested in signing star WR Mike Evans,” NFL influencer Dov Kleiman wrote on their official X account on Thursday. “Evans would transform both teams’ offenses.”
“Mike Evans to NE at $15M a year?” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account.
All Signs Point to Evans Leaving Buccaneers
Evans seems destined to find the free agent market welcoming him with open arms after spending his first 12 seasons with the Buccaneers, including an NFL record 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2014 to 2024.
“I truly believe (Evans) will be in a new uniform next year,” NBC’s Matthew Berry wrote. “The Buccaneers love him, but given the commitment they made to Chris Godwin last year and a deep young WR room, Tampa Bay is okay letting him go elsewhere. I heard Buffalo as a potential landing spot for Evans and possibly Philly if the Eagles decide to move A.J. Brown.”
Bucs GM Chose Not to Franchise Tag Mike Evans
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht made his intentions clear with Evans from the start of the offseason, choosing not to franchise tag his star wide receiver, which would have paid him roughly $27 million in 2026.
“Love Mike and would like to have Mike back,” Licht said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday. “He’s earned the right with his résumé, and Mike as a person, what he’s meant to this entire community, fan base, all of us. I could go on and on, which we have. He’s earned that right. We’d love to have Mike back, and we’ll just see how the process goes.”
Evans just played out a 2-year, $41 million contract and could have a lot of suitors in the open market.
Not Locking Down Evans … Huge Mistake?
ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported the Buccaneers seemed dead set on letting Evans become a free agent for the 1st time in his career. That would be a huge mistake.
“Could the Bucs franchise tag Evans?” Laine wrote. “Technically, yes, but the feeling inside the organization is that Evans has given 12 seasons to the team, and he deserves to have agency over where he spends the remaining years of his career. They also have to weigh whether the move would make sense financially, considering they’d have to pay him $27-28 million for one year when he was averaging $20.5 million on his last deal.”
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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