Age at the Start of the 2026 Season: 33
Experience: Entering 13th NFL season
How Acquired: Drafted in the first round (7th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M.
Previous Contract(s): As a first-round pick in 2014, Evans signed the standard four-year contract with a fifth-year team option that all first-rounders receive. Before finishing that deal, he inked a five-year extension in 2018 that carried through the 2023 campaign. He has played the past two seasons on a two-year pact that included three automatically voiding years on the end to lessen the cap hit at the beginning of the deal.
Rank in Pro Football Focus **Top 250 NFL Free Agents** for 2026: 13th. PFF excerpt: “Evans’ streak of 1,000-yard seasons came to an end after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, and it is fair to question whether his best days are behind him. Still, at 32 years old, he is just one season removed from earning a 90.2 PFF receiving grade, leaving him more than capable of serving as a strong short-term option.”
2025 Performance: As noted above, Evans saw his incredible streak of 1,000-yard receiving seasons come to an end in 2025 thanks to too many games erased by injuries, but he was still a clear focal point of the Bucs’ passing attack when he was on the field. A hamstring strain and a broken collarbone limited him to eight total games played and he finished the season with 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns. That production actually came in seven games, as he had no catches in the Week Seven contest in Detroit in which he hurt his shoulder and suffered a concussion.
Evans made a triumphant return from injured reserve in Week 15, catching six passes for 132 yards against Atlanta. He then scored a touchdown in each of the next two games and played 75% of the offensive snaps in Weeks 17 and 18.
Career Accomplishments: Evans is the most accomplished offensive player in franchise history and likely a lock to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame not longer after he is eligible. He owns the Buccaneers’ franchise records for career receptions (866), receiving yards (13,052), touchdown catches (108), total touchdowns (109), points scored (662) and 100-yard receiving games (43, including playoffs). His 52 receptions for 801 yards and six touchdowns in the postseason are also all franchise records.
Prior to his injury-marred 2025 campaign, Evans had made the Pro Bowl the previous two years in his age-30 and 31 seasons. His six Pro Bowl selections overall are tied with fullback Mike Alstott for the most by an offensive player in franchise history. As noted above, when the Buccaneers used input from fans and members of the media to form a list of the 50 greatest players in franchise history in 2025, Evans was ranked fourth, beyond only Hall-of-Famers Derrick Brooks, Lee Roy Selmon and Warren Sapp.
Evans’ total of 108 touchdown receptions ranks 10th in NFL history and he needs just four more to surpass Hall-of-Famer Antonio Gates for ninth place. Evans also ranks 31st in league annals in receptions and 21st in receiving yards. He set an NFL record by surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons, the longest such streak ever to start a career. That streak also tied receiving G.O.A.T. Jerry Rice for the longest run at any point in a player’s career, and Rice is the only player with more total 1,000-yard receiving seasons overall, with 14.
Other Potential Free Agent Wide Receivers: George Pickens (Cowboys), Deebo Samuel (Commanders), Alec Pierce (Colts), Romeo Doubs (Packers), Jauan Jennings (49ers), Wan’Dale Robinson (Giants), Rashid Shaheed (Seahawks), Christian Kirk (Texans), Keenan Allen (Chargers), Jalen Nailor (Vikings)
Top Wide Receiver Prospects in 2026 NFL Draft: Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Makai Lemon (USC), Denzel Boston (Washington), Chris Brazzell (Tennessee), KC Concepcion (Texas A&M), Elijah Sarratt (Indiana), Antonio Williams (Clemson), Eugene Wilson (Florida), Malachi Fields (Notre Dame), Skyler Bell (Connecticut), Deion Burks (Oklahoma), CJ Daniels (Miami), Zachariah Branch (Georgia)