No matter how they choose to do so, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need to add to their receiving corps at some point this offseason. And as we drift closer to free agency, more candidates are slowly joining the pool. On Monday, Miami made plans to release Tyreek Hill. Then on Tuesday, Mike Evans entered the pile.
Evans had a long, productive run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but hamstring injuries limited him in 2025, and he’s now set to enter free agency. There was some speculation about retirement, but Kimberley A. Martin reported Tuesday that Evans plans to play in 2026 and will explore his options in free agency.
ESPN’s Sam Acho believes the Steelers should be one of the teams pursuing Evans.
“Now, if he doesn’t go to Tampa, I think the Pittsburgh Steelers could be a great option for Mike Evans. Obviously, he’s got the size, the skill, he takes care of his body. And you know, people talk about Aaron Rodgers and all of the things. Okay, that’s another weapon for a veteran quarterback. Two vets who know what it’s like to win, and win at the highest level,” Acho said Tuesday on NFL Live. “There would be a litany of teams that would look for him, and I would expect the Steelers to be one of them.”
The reunion in Tampa Bay does have to be considered. He’s been there for 12 years, Tampa Bay has been successful in recent years, and he has stable quarterback play with Baker Mayfield.
Yet, free agency is something Evans hasn’t seen before. And if he were interested in Pittsburgh, he’s certainly a name worth considering. Evans had at least 1,000 receiving yards during each of the first 11 years of his career. He also has 108 total touchdowns and two All-Pro nominations to his name.
That said, you want to pay players for their future production, not their past. And the future is certainly a little murkier for Evans. He obviously has an incredible resume, but he’ll turn 33 next season. He has also taken numerous hits on his 866 career receptions. Lingering injuries caught up to him last year, and the veteran played just eight games. In the last two years, he has played in just 22.
Thus, Evans is a little complicated. If he can return to full health, he’d be a massive addition to an offense that seems likely to have Aaron Rodgers directing it next year. But there’s no telling if he’ll actually return to his previous form. With DK Metcalf’s contract on the books, plus the plethora of talented receivers in the draft class, it wouldn’t make sense to commit a large amount of money to Evans.
But at the right price, it could be a high-reward addition. If the Steelers want to give themselves some security at receiver before the draft rolls around, they could do a lot worse than Mike Evans.