On the final offensive snap of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2024 regular season, Mike Evans caught a short pass in the left flat and turned upfield for a nine-yard gain, kicking off a joyous celebration on the field and in the stands of Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers didn't strictly need that last chunk of yardage to finish off a 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints that clinched the team's fourth straight NFC South title, but they desperately wanted Evans to get them before the clock ran out on the season.
Those nine yards ran Evans' 2024 season total to 1,004, marking the 11th time in 11 seasons that he had surpassed the 1,000-yard mark, an NFL record to start a career. The feat came down to the wire largely because injuries had cost him three games and significant parts of two others along the way. In 2025, Evans encountered worse injury luck and there simply weren't enough games available for him to extend his streak. In a way, though, that only served to emphasize how impressive his first 11 seasons had been. That he had gone that deep into his career without missing more than four games in any season and without seeing his production wane at any point as the years started to add up was incredible.
As such, there is little doubt that Evans would remain a very productive pass-catcher in the NFL if he suits up for a 13th season. The question, of course, is whether he wants to extend that Hall of Fame-worthy playing career. If he does, he will first need a new contract for 2026, and the Buccaneers obviously hope it would be with them.
Evans is one of 17 players from the Bucs' final 2025 roster and reserve lists who could become unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on March 11. The list is a bit shorter than it has been in recent offseasons, but it still notable for containing two of the biggest names in franchise history. This past summer, the Buccaneers celebrated the onset of their landmark 50th season by counting down the 50 greatest players in franchise history; Mike Evans landed at number four, while Lavonte David came in at number seven. As such, we have started our annual process of taking a closer look at some of the team's key pending free agents with those two Buccaneer stalwarts.
This is the full schedule of our 2026 Free Agent Focus rundown:
February 11: LB Lavonte David
February 13: WR Mike Evans
February 18: DL Logan Hall
February 20: TE Ko Kieft
February 25: RB Rachaad White
February 27: CB Jamel Dean
March 4: WR Sterling Shepard
March 5: TE Cade Otton
March 6: OLB Haason Reddick
This list is subject to change based on potential roster moves in the coming weeks. However, we continue this week with one of the most prolific end zone targets in NFL history.
Player: Mike Evans
Position: Wide Receiver
Age at the Start of the 2026 Season: 33
Experience: Entering 13th NFL season
How Acquired: Drafted in the first round (7th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M.
Previous Contract(s): As a first-round pick in 2014, Evans signed the standard four-year contract with a fifth-year team option that all first-rounders receive. Before finishing that deal, he inked a five-year extension in 2018 that carried through the 2023 campaign. He has played the past two seasons on a two-year pact that included three automatically voiding years on the end to lessen the cap hit at the beginning of the deal.
Rank in Pro Football Focus **Top 250 NFL Free Agents** for 2026: 13th. PFF excerpt: "Evans' streak of 1,000-yard seasons came to an end after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, and it is fair to question whether his best days are behind him. Still, at 32 years old, he is just one season removed from earning a 90.2 PFF receiving grade, leaving him more than capable of serving as a strong short-term option."
2025 Performance: As noted above, Evans saw his incredible streak of 1,000-yard receiving seasons come to an end in 2025 thanks to too many games erased by injuries, but he was still a clear focal point of the Bucs' passing attack when he was on the field. A hamstring strain and a broken collarbone limited him to eight total games played and he finished the season with 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns. That production actually came in seven games, as he had no catches in the Week Seven contest in Detroit in which he hurt his shoulder and suffered a concussion.
Evans made a triumphant return from injured reserve in Week 15, catching six passes for 132 yards against Atlanta. He then scored a touchdown in each of the next two games and played 75% of the offensive snaps in Weeks 17 and 18.
Career Accomplishments: Evans is the most accomplished offensive player in franchise history and likely a lock to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame not longer after he is eligible. He owns the Buccaneers' franchise records for career receptions (866), receiving yards (13,052), touchdown catches (108), total touchdowns (109), points scored (662) and 100-yard receiving games (43, including playoffs). His 52 receptions for 801 yards and six touchdowns in the postseason are also all franchise records.
Prior to his injury-marred 2025 campaign, Evans had made the Pro Bowl the previous two years in his age-30 and 31 seasons. His six Pro Bowl selections overall are tied with fullback Mike Alstott for the most by an offensive player in franchise history. As noted above, when the Buccaneers used input from fans and members of the media to form a list of the 50 greatest players in franchise history in 2025, Evans was ranked fourth, beyond only Hall-of-Famers Derrick Brooks, Lee Roy Selmon and Warren Sapp.
Evans' total of 108 touchdown receptions ranks 10th in NFL history and he needs just four more to surpass Hall-of-Famer Antonio Gates for ninth place. Evans also ranks 31st in league annals in receptions and 21st in receiving yards. He set an NFL record by surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons, the longest such streak ever to start a career. That streak also tied receiving G.O.A.T. Jerry Rice for the longest run at any point in a player's career, and Rice is the only player with more total 1,000-yard receiving seasons overall, with 14.
Other Potential Free Agent Wide Receivers: George Pickens (Cowboys), Deebo Samuel (Commanders), Alec Pierce (Colts), Romeo Doubs (Packers), Jauan Jennings (49ers), Wan'Dale Robinson (Giants), Rashid Shaheed (Seahawks), Christian Kirk (Texans), Keenan Allen (Chargers), Jalen Nailor (Vikings)
Top Wide Receiver Prospects in 2026 NFL Draft: Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), Carnell Tate (Ohio State), Makai Lemon (USC), Denzel Boston (Washington), Chris Brazzell (Tennessee), KC Concepcion (Texas A&M), Elijah Sarratt (Indiana), Antonio Williams (Clemson), Eugene Wilson (Florida), Malachi Fields (Notre Dame), Skyler Bell (Connecticut), Deion Burks (Oklahoma), CJ Daniels (Miami), Zachariah Branch (Georgia)
