Mike Evans’ Future
March 24th, 2025
Target in 2026 free agency?
This is one reason Joe was going so bonkers about getting a legit edge rusher.
“This Joe” firmly believes unless something changes in a good way in the next 12 months, that this season could be the last one where a Super Bowl window is open for the Bucs. That’s because Mike Evans, 32, is in the final year of his contract.
Now Evans last year, despite missing four games with a blown hamstring, still got his magical 1,000 yards receiving which stretched his record to 11 straight seasons of 1,000 yards receiving, tying him with the great Jerry Rice.
So Evans still has it. Evans is one of the rare birds who is still an elite receiver even after turning 31 (Evans will be 32 in August).
It seems 30 is the black magic number for receivers. Not many are at or near the top of their games on the wrong side of 30. Devante Adams, same age as Evans, is a good example. He’s not much more than a (good) possession receiver these days.
Evans last year showed he can still burn people on go-routes.
So over at BSPN, former safety and current Chicago-area high school coach Matt Bowen took a look ahead at next year’s crop of free agents. This season is a contract year for Evans and Bowen believes Evans will have multiple offers.
Well, let’s think about this: If Evans has yet another 1,000-yard receiving season, somebody will throw cash at him. If a team (allegedly) was willing to back up a Brink’s truck for Chris Godwin (currently damaged goods) what do you think a healthy Evans would pull?
Now there isn’t a huge market for a 33-year old receiver, which Evans will be in 2026. But for a contending team looking for a proven, high-level offensive weapon to get them over the hump, Evans would be a helluva prize.
March 24th, 2025 at 3:56 am
I’ll be sick if he leaves.
March 24th, 2025 at 4:54 am
Mike still has a lot of strength and energy. He is astounding to watch at times when leaping to catch and drive it to the end zone. Can never get tired of watching Mike on the field. Agree with Leopold, I would feel horrible if he leaves.
March 24th, 2025 at 4:56 am
ME13 is not going anywhere!
That ship sailed when he decided to take less $ last offseason to stay with the Bucs.
Evans is a Buccaneer for life and Jason Licht will make sure of it.
Mike will likely do 1 year deals after this contract is up – just like Lavonte David.
I can see Evans playing at least 3 more years. Maybe more. His time with Brady and adherence to TB12 eating and training methods will allow big Mike to continue playing at a high level – beyond a time frame that would normally be expected of a large bodied NFL receiver who takes a lot of hits.
March 24th, 2025 at 5:02 am
They wont let Mike leave – he is the heart of this team (lavonte is the soul) – when the time comes Licht will make sure he retires a buccaneer – as always go bucs and may all of you have a blessed Monday š
March 24th, 2025 at 5:03 am
ME13 only leaves if he still wants to play and the Bucs won’t make an offer.
March 24th, 2025 at 5:21 am
I LOVE Mike. Heās inarguably the greatest offensive player in Bucs history and would be on the Bucs Mt Rushmore. That being said, the Super Bowl window does NOT close without him. This is a very solid roster that has been crafted from the ground up over the last decade by Licht.
March 24th, 2025 at 5:38 am
Mikes will play 3 more years (it’s doable at his age) to
tie Rice with 14 1K seasons.
Target him early and often this year. Not like last year.
I’d like to see 500 yards in the first 6 games.
Just the opposite for Bucky. Keep him fresh. Don’t
run the wheels off him like Garden did to Cadillac.
March 24th, 2025 at 6:01 am
If. I’ll enjoy watching Mike this season.
March 24th, 2025 at 6:11 am
Evans isn’t leaving. The organization doesn’t want him to go and I doubt very seriously if Mike wants to go.
Evans will retire a Buccaneer.
March 24th, 2025 at 6:30 am
Pickgrin … ‘ME13 is not going anywhere! Evans is a Buccaneer for life and Jason Licht will make sure of it.’
BINGO! If Mike stays reasonably healthy, he’ll get his 1,000 yards again this season, making it 12 straight … and breaking Jerry Rice’s record of 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards receiving.
To his credit though, Jerry Rice had 14 total seasons with 1,000 yards receiving. Mike would need 4 more years of 1,000 yards receiving to break that. That’s a lofty goal, but his best chance of accomplishing it is with the Bucanneers. And my guess is that Mike surely knows that and would do everything he can to stay here.
March 24th, 2025 at 7:05 am
Can’t say that Adams is a good position receiver in on breath and praise Evans as Elite.
Adams will do well with the Rams as Stafford is pretty good at the downfield throws and won’t have Adams depending on the shorter timing routes. He won’t throw his receivers into big hit collisions.
If the ball and a big shoulder get to the spot on the seven yard slants Evans could be out by week 3.
Will get to see both receivers head to head this season and Rams seem to create a lot of damage deep vs the Bucs.
Rams had an older OBJ and he helped them to a Lombardi.
March 24th, 2025 at 7:14 am
OUCH Joe!
Go Bucs!
March 24th, 2025 at 7:28 am
Great comments on ME.
March 24th, 2025 at 7:54 am
Evans seems like a man who is realistic about life, his performance level, physical stamina. He will know when to call it a day. One more year? Pray that he stays healthy and hope that our defense make a turn around. Then we’ll be SB bound!
March 24th, 2025 at 8:04 am
ME13 will retire a Buccaneer-bank on it.
March 24th, 2025 at 8:13 am
LB3 @ 19
March 24th, 2025 at 8:51 am
Neither Mike nor Chris will leave for an extra few million
March 24th, 2025 at 9:15 am
ME13’s best chance to continue his 1k record is with Baker. ME13 will stay with Bake as long as that connection is working. If Grizz adds some Mike McDaniels’ YAC plays, the offense could be even better over the next couple years.
March 24th, 2025 at 9:17 am
Halfway season Mike gets extension
March 24th, 2025 at 9:57 am
“This Joe….” I’ve been a loyal follower of this website for years (a decade?) now, and at this point it’s the worst kept secret in the Tampa Bay area that there are 2 “Joe’s” + Ira who comprise this website. Now with the podcasts too, I wonder if the Joe’s would consider signing their real names to their posts?
I can sometimes tell who wrote a piece, sometimes not, and those latter times it’d be useful to understand if a post is a take. You both have unique voices, it’d be value added to know which voice we’re reading on a given post! Keep up the great work.
[Would ruin the brand. And you’d be very surprised how often people swing and miss about who the author is. Appreciate the kind words, thought. Thank you. — Joe]
March 24th, 2025 at 10:14 am
Yeah, I donāt know about any of this. As far as Mike Evans going ANYWHERE, or with this whole WR comparison trying to sell us on Mike Evans still being ELITE, but Davonte Adams is just some JAG SCRUB. Seriously!? Honestly, I donāt see a lot of difference between the two, at this point. Almost NO ONE wouldāve taken Mike over Davonte just two years ago, & I could definitely see Davonte having a better season (while clearly ālookingā better) than Mike this year, given they are both healthy. Hell, Davonte was stuck with the RAIDERSā¦ A BAD team and franchise without a QB. THEN, that fiasco with the JETS. Really kind of hard to evaluate him in both of those situations for the past 3-years. He was possibly, THE LEGIT #1 WR (on a lot of peopleās list) in the entire LEAGUE not 3-4 years ago, & now youāre trying to downplay HIM as being a JAG??? Yeah, I donāt know about that!? He just found himself in THE WORST of the worst possible positions to be in for over the past couple of years, then got a little banged up, & missed a few games. He obviously, clearly, lost interest. He will SHINE with a healthy Stafford and a very good, well-coached Rams team.
March 24th, 2025 at 10:24 am
Let’s play this year before you start worrying about where people will play next year.
March 24th, 2025 at 10:33 am
Extend him this year, to free up some more cap space to sign a veteran CB or another pass rusher.
I’ve said since day 1 that Mike Evans will be a Bucs for life. Don’t prove me wrong Jason!
March 24th, 2025 at 10:36 am
Davante Adams was great when he had prime Aaron Rodgers throwing him the balls.
Mike Evans was great whether he had Mike Glennon, Josh McCowen, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Brady or Baker Mayfield throwing him the ball… nuff said.
March 24th, 2025 at 10:38 am
Now that I think of it I donāt know WHERE DAdams signed to play lay next season and was just rambling. I guess for whatever reason I subconsciously had it buried deep in my mind that he signed with the Rams & I donāt care enough to actually ālook it upā LoL. All I do know is NO ONE wouldāve taken Mike over HIM before, and that he obviously, clearly, completely lost interest in Vegas (after Carr left him hanginā) & in New York. And, when I did see him playā¦ He looked the same but just uninterested, disgruntled, regretful, pissed-off, tired of LOSING (playing for a LOSER franchises and NO QB), & was banged up. Also, I sure donāt remember a whole lot of BOMBS thrown downfield to Mike either, last season. Hell, Davonte hasnāt had a QB at all, for the past couple of seasons. Rodgers and the JETS were horrible last season. Too hard to evaluate him given his circumstances. Weāll just have to wait and see what happens during this upcoming season before Iām willing to say that Mike is āheads and shouldersā above HIM.
March 24th, 2025 at 10:54 am
Adams has only played in 14-games over the past 2-full seasons, missing TWENTY GAMES. Over those 14-Games heās still put up numbers of 85-catches for 1063-yards, & 8-TDās. Pretty good. Especially, given the circumstances. Hell, heās been hurt and uninterested. A lot of those games played he carried the āQuestionableā tag, too. Before that, he was on EVERYONEāS āTop-5ā WR-list. I havenāt seen really ANY ādifferenceā between the two, over the past couple of seasons (when Adams plays).
March 24th, 2025 at 11:05 am
I think age is more damning than a younger WR coming off an injury. Sure, there will be a lot of interest in Mike Evans, but none that will bring a Brinks truck or any team with one missing piece being a WR over 30.
At this point, don’t you think, as long as Jason respects Mike’s value, that Mike would want to finish his career with the Bucs? I would bet my left nut on that.
Mike is a Buc for life as long as Jason handles his business and Mike gets another 1,000 yard season or damn near close to it. Guys like Mike and Chris don’t come around easily and set the tone for a franchise from a culture and work ethic stand point. Toss in Lavonte Davind in that group. Without these 3 cogs, there’s no Tom Brady, there’s no SB, no Baker Mayfield, etc.
March 24th, 2025 at 11:47 am
This is why I wanted at least a 3-year deal. Evans isn’t showing any signs of slowing down yet, and with his body and style of play, I think he’s going to be productive for probably another 2 years before he falls off.
Still, I think Licht has shown he’s not going to let any of the legends walk – and I can’t imagine Mike would leave at this point, not after turning down a bigger deal from the Rams last year.
March 24th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
I don’t think he would go play for another team. At this point in his career it’s either re signing with the Bucs or retirement.
March 24th, 2025 at 2:06 pm
Reading between the lines of ME13 talking, it Dems he wants 2-3 years.
I thank he is still 1000+ for 2
This team is definitely a SB contender with a pass rush
March 24th, 2025 at 7:35 pm
24th in total receiving yards with 12,684.
35th in total receptions with 836.
9th in total touchdowns with 105.
13th in receiving yards per game with 75.5.
My bet is he plays IF healthy through 2027.
That puts 15,000 yards, 1000, receptions and 120 touchdowns well within reach
And puts him in the top 6-7 of receivers all time.
March 25th, 2025 at 2:19 pm
He already said he wants to retire a BUCCANEER.