Rumors Swirl Over What Mike Evans Will Do in 2026

By Shane Hallam | Updated on Fri, Jan 30 2026 3:49 PM UTC

WR Mike Evans’ contract expired, and doubt remains about his returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports quoted sources who said it is less than 50-50 that Evans will return to the Buccaneers. ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported today that Evans won’t start thinking about a decision until after the Super Bowl. Despite turning 33 before the start of next season, Evans should have a strong market if he does decide to test free agency.

What They're Saying

Jenna Laine of ESPN: “Regarding Mike Evans: Those close to him whom I have spoken with today say he hasn’t talked about his immediate future. He hasn’t talked to the team about this either. None of those conversations has happened. I talked to him right after the season ended, and he said he’d start thinking about things after the Super Bowl. I asked if he had a timeline in mind, and he said 1-2 months after the season. But he was pretty clear on it being after the Super Bowl when he’d start assessing his future.”

Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports: “Those I’ve spoken with over the past week believe it’s less than 50-50 the veteran wideout re-signs with Tampa and that his career with the Buccaneers is likely finished. He’d like to go to a contender and win another title.”

Fantasy Football Impact

Evans tied an NFL record 11 straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards (the first to do it to start a career). He failed to meet that mark in 2025 thanks to a hamstring injury and broken collarbone. Despite missing the mark, he still flashed talent despite being 32.

The Buccaneers seem to have planned for an Evans exit, drafting Emeka Egbuka and re-signing Chris Godwin to a three-year contract. Though the team would likely be open to bringing back Evans on a team-friendly deal, Evans himself may want to sign elsewhere.

We will keep track of Evans and all other free agents on our Free Agent Tracker

Shane Hallam, Writer

Shane has over 20 years of experience creating content and playing every fantasy football format, including redraft, dynasty, devy, C2C, IDP, CFF, and more. He is a multi-year winner of $500 dynasty leagues on the FFPC and a King's Classic Champion. Shane utilizes deep film and scheme study to enhance his fantasy performance. He led the industry in 2024 preseason Kicker Rankings and ranked second in preseason QB Rankings. He also ranked eighth in preseason IDP rankings.