According to Mike Garafolo, there’s a sense from the league that Buccaneers WR Mike Evans is serious about testing his market in free agency, with the window for him to formally talk to teams opening in an hour.
Evans got close to free agency a couple of years ago and ended up signing a new deal to stay in Tampa Bay before ever reaching the open market. This time, it appears as if he’ll get past that point even though the Buccaneers have been trying over the weekend to bring him back.
Albert Breer mentioned Evans’ financial aspirations on a one-year deal have exceeded where Tampa Bay has been willing to go.
Jordan Schultz adds other teams have gotten the sense Evans is serious about signing with another team.
There’s a raft of teams that have been linked to the prolific veteran, including the Bills, Chargers, Patriots, 49ers and Browns.
Evans, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Buccaneers back in 2014. He was in the final year of his four-year, $14.631 million contract and set to make a base salary of $690,000 for the 2017 season when he agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million extension that includes $55 million guaranteed in 2018.
He made a base salary of $13 million in the final year of his deal and was set to become an unrestricted free agent when he agreed to a two-year extension worth $52 million in 2024.
In 2025, Evans appeared in eight games for the Buccaneers and recorded 30 catches on 62 targets for 368 yards and three touchdowns.
We have him included in our Top 100 – 2026 NFL Free Agents.
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