The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to do some soul searching this offseason. Tampa let the NFC South title slip away in 2025, which should give the team a sense of urgency heading into NFL free agency. The team's head coach desperately wants to retain one veteran player who has played for the team since 2015.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles made it clear that he wants veteran Mike Evans to return for the 2026 season.
“I’m hoping and praying he comes back,” Bowles said on Tuesday via The Rich Eisen Show. “He’s been a Buc his whole life, he’s done so much for the city and the team of Tampa Bay that it’s unmistakable. His legend is etched in stone there. He can still play at a high level, but he’s earned the right to look around in free agency because he’s played for so long and we just hope and pray that he comes back.”
Evans is an unrestricted free agent heading into the 2026 offseason. He is still on the books in Tampa with a $13.07 million cap hit because of a void year used on his previous contract.
But this time, the Buccaneers have to worry about Evans choosing another team instead of him choosing retirement.
Evans declared on February 17th that he will return for his 13th NFL season, per ESPN's Kimberly A. Martin. He plans to explore his options in free agency.
There was no guarantee that Evans would even return to football in 2026. Evans broke his collarbone in Week 7 and ended up missing almost two months as a result. He fell short of 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his NFL career.
Buccaneers fans will want Evans to come back in 2026. The veteran wide receiver has only played in Tampa since 2015. Evans turns 33 years old before the regular season, which shows that he is nearing the end of his career.
NFL insider James Palmer declared on February 20th that Tampa could be the most likely destination for Evans despite his desire to test the market.
Evans finishing his career with the Buccaneers would be a great story. Hopefully it comes to pass.
