Report: Mike Evans Leaning Toward Leaving Bucs
January 29th, 2026
Leaving?
Color Joe slightly dubious.
We’ve heard this song and dance before. Twice this decade, to be exact.
It seems a dispatch from Mobile, site of the Senior Bowl and a crock pot of all sorts of NFL rumors and innuendo, this from NFL reporter Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports, suggests there is a less than 50 percent chance Bucs icon Mike Evans returns to play for the Pewter Pirates.
On the other end is Mike Evans, the 12-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At 31 years of age, Evans has struggled with injury in the past two seasons and played in just eight games last year, catching 30 passes. 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.
Folks in multiple years, egged on by Evans’ agent, have prematurely typed Evans’ Bucs obituary. So Joe’s not biting the bait.
Joe does know Evans badly wants the Bucs to return to being a Super Bowl contender. We all saw how the gutless loss to the Dixie Chicks tore him up (Joe saw it first-hand, standing mere feet from his blowup outside the Bucs locker room).
And Evans has openly said he had a chance to join the Chiefs the last time he was a free agent two years ago and thought it would be cool to play for Andy Reid and catch passes from Pat Mahomes.
There’s also his hometown Texans (Evans lives in suburban Houston), who badly need a receiver, maybe more than the Chiefs. And let’s be real: Both the Chiefs and the Texans are closer to the Super Bowl than the Bucs.
Would it shock “this Joe” if Evans suits up for another team? No. Is Joe believing Evans’ departure is imminent? No.
Joe is guessing a lot will depend on how much of a sales job both new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and quarterback Baker Mayfield pitch to Evans. And Evans is close to Mayfield.
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