INTRO: A news report from NFL insider Tony Pauline broke on Thursday that said Mike Evans’ chances of returning to the Bucs was “less than 50-50” this season because the future Hall of Fame receiver wants to play for a legit Super Bowl contender. The implication of course, is that Evans might not see the Bucs fitting that criteria – supposedly.

I spoke with Pauline in Mobile, Ala. at the Senior Bowl this week, and have a good understanding of his report. In this week’s SR’s FAB 5 I’m going to give some context to it, and do what you don’t want me to do, which is give some – some – credibility to his report. And I also spoke to a source close to Evans in Mobile as well. So let’s talk about Mike Evans and his football future in this week’s SR’s FAB 5.

FAB 1. Will Mike Evans Retire, Return To The Bucs – Or Play Elsewhere In 2026?

Mike Evans will either retire after 12 historic seasons in the NFL, return to the Bucs for at least another year – or perhaps move on to another team as a free agent. Those are the only three scenarios in play in the roughly 40 days until 2026 NFL free agency starts.

On Thursday there was a report from NFL insider Tony Pauline that stated that he had heard from sources there was a less than 50-50 chance that Evans would want to return to the Bucs in 2026. Instead, the report suggests Evans would want to go to a team that has a better chance of winning a Super Bowl in the twilight of his career with the hope of winning another ring.

To be clear, neither Evans nor his agent Deryk Gilmore, have had any real discussions about what the six-time Pro Bowler intends to do yet in 2026. I have that on very good authority.

Evans is not even a month removed from the Bucs’ sudden end to their disappointing 8-9 season in 2025. Free agency is still over a month away, so there is still plenty of time for Evans to weigh all options.

Yet that doesn’t mean that the premise of Pauline’s report is wrong, and I’ll get to that later in SR’s FAB 5.

First, let’s rule out the first option: retirement.

I just can’t see Evans retiring at age 33, which he turns on August 21.

Evans has to be back in 2026, right?

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I mean he’s a Bucs legend – the best offensive player in Tampa Bay history. Evans is a future Hall of Fame wide receiver – perhaps a first-ballot guy. 
If you want to remove either Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks or Rondé Barber, you can put Evans on your own Bucs’ Mount Rushmore as one of Tampa Bay’s best four players of all-time.

He wears the No. 13 jersey for goodness sake!

Evans’ own M1K3 logo has the No. 13 in it.

To not return for that special 13th NFL season would be sacrilege, right?

The guess here is that he would return to the Bucs … but, maybe not. We’ll address Evans’ return to Tampa Bay in FAB 2 and if he might go elsewhere in FAB 3. But let’s continue on ruling out retirement.

For Evans to go out on a whimper with just 30 catches for 368 yards (12.3 avg.) and three touchdowns seems … un-Mike-like. Evans is an alpha competitor, who wound up tied with Jerry Rice for 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.

He stands alone as the NFL’s only receiver to begin his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons. A hamstring injury, a broken clavicle and a concussion limited Evans to just eight games last season, effectively ending his quest for an NFL-record 12th straight 1,000-yard season in a Monday Night Football loss at Detroit.

Evans fought hard in rehab to avoid his collarbone injury from becoming season-ending. He came back with a vengeance in Week 15 against the Falcons, getting targeted 12 times in his return, and catching six passes for 132 yards.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It felt good to be back; I was super excited to be back and help the team,” Evans said a few days after that game, which ended in a 29-28 loss to the Falcons. I thought the game was going to be taken away, I thought I was going to be done for the season, and to be back out there — I worked really hard to get back, the training staff did a great job of getting me back.

“Did I have a good game? I had an okay game. Yardage-wise, I did alright, but [there was] a few more plays I could’ve made. It felt good to be back; I wish we could’ve won that game, but it’s good to be back.”

That was the last time Evans held a true press conference with the media the rest of the season. Because we hadn’t spoke with him since he broke his collarbone on Monday Night Football in Week 7 – and this might be the last time the media would get him the rest of the year – I asked Evans if he contemplated returning for a 13th season.

“I haven’t really even thought about it, honestly,” Evans said in late December. “I was just going to wait until the season is over. I’m just trying to focus as much as I can on the season. Obviously, we’re human, we have to think about the future, but I have really been trying to be locked in on helping this team make the playoffs. For your question, time will tell.”

Evans was asked about the future of Tampa Bay’s receiving corps and he said something that begged a follow-up question afterwards.

“Unlimited potential for our young receivers,” Evans said. “When I leave this game soon, I’m going to be happy with the receiving room that’s left in Tampa and excited to watch them have a great career and carry on the torch.”

Soon?

Just how soon will Evans be hanging up the cleats?

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Bob Donnan

“I’m not that smart to be phrasing things in cryptic phrases,” Evans said. “It will be soon, even if it’s three-four more years I play. I played 12, so… We’ll see, time will tell – Scott asked. I’m really trying to focus on this season and making the most out of it.”
Evans was then asked about that potential upcoming 13th season.

“Y’all are speaking it into existence I feel like, so we’ll see,” Evans said with a smile. “We’ll get to it in a couple of months here.”

Sounds like Evans is certainly leaving the door open for a return to the field in 2026, right?

In his 12 seasons in Tampa Bay his 2025 training camp was actually his best. He was poised to have a monster year and certainly another 1,000-yard season if he didn’t get hurt. And by playing in a career-low eight games, including the last three of the season, his legs must be fresh heading into the offseason.

So if Evans is going to return, it will be with the Bucs, right?

Maybe. But let’s explore that avenue first.

FAB 2. Mike Evans Has To Return To The Bucs, Right?

Fans will riot if Mike Evans doesn’t return to Tampa Bay.

Evans is easily one of the most popular players in franchise history. So let’s give the Pewter People what they want, which is a scenario in which Evans does return to the Bucs for at least one more season – if not more.

Evans has spent his entire 12-year career in red and pewter. Only a couple of Bucs legends – Lee Roy Selmon, Derrick Brooks, Rondé Barber and Mike Alstott – can say they’ve spent all of their playing days with Tampa Bay. How much does that mean to Evans? I’m not sure. If he does re-sign with the Bucs that’s a clear indication that playing his entire career in a Bucs uniform was a significant deciding factor.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: IMAGN Images –

Then there’s the fact that Evans enjoys playing with quarterback Baker Mayfield, Chris Godwin Jr. and others on offense. He also has a very meaningful relationship with general manager Jason Licht, the man who has selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and has given him multiple contract extensions over the years.

Evans also saw Licht give a three-year deal worth $66 million to Godwin while coming off a broken ankle last offseason. So Evans knows that despite his own pedestrian production in 2025 – 30 catches for 368 yards (12.3 avg.) and three touchdowns – Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg would treat Evans fairly and give him a fair market contract based on what he’s produced in the past – and likely what he would’ve produced if he didn’t get hurt in 2025 and missed half the season.

Evans has made Tampa his second home – the first being his hometown of Galveston, Texas – over the past dozen years and is ingrained in the community with The Mike Evans Foundation. He also has a love affair with the Bucs fan base that routinely sees him giving away his touchdown balls to fans in the end zone after he scores at Raymond James Stadium – and also at times on the road.

Based on a source with first-hand knowledge of the situation, Evans wasn’t thrilled with Josh Grizzard’s play-calling last year. I addressed this topic in Thursday’s Point-Counterpoint column on PewterReport.com, which asked the question: who should new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson build the offense around? I said Evans, of course, and mentioned how underused Evans was at times last year.

Bucs OC Zac Robinson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Evans had just 14 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown through the first three games of the 2025 season before a hamstring injury cost him a few games. Upon returning to action in Detroit in Week 7, Evans suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion that kept him out until the team’s Week 15 loss to Atlanta. In his first game back, Evans was targeted 12 times and caught six passes for 132 yards in the 29-28 loss to the Falcons. In the last three games of the year, Evans had a combined 10 catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns, including just two receptions for 34 yards in the season finale win versus Carolina.”

“If Evans is going to return for another season at age 33 he’s going to want to be featured. And why wouldn’t he? He’s still – right now – the best wide receiver on the Bucs roster. And why wouldn’t Robinson want to feature a future Hall of Famer? There has been speculation that Robinson’s offense will be more akin to the Rams-based system that former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen ran in 2024.”

Falcons WR Drake London and Bucs NCB Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

I’m not sure how thrilled Evans would be to come back to Tampa Bay if Grizzard would have returned as the play-caller again in 2026. But the fact that it’s now Robinson, who featured 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver Drake London in Atlanta over the past two years, might make coming back to the Bucs an easier sell.

London had his best season under Robinson in 2024 with 100 catches for 1,279 yards (12.7 avg.) and nine touchdowns. And he was on his way to having an even better year in 2025 with 68 receptions for 919 yards (13.5) and seven touchdowns before missing the last five games of the season with a knee injury.

Surely there is no way Evans would want to play anywhere else, right?

So it’s Tampa Bay or retirement, right?

Right?!

I think he’ll return to Tampa Bay once again, but let’s explore a possible scenario where Tony Pauline’s report may be accurate and Evans isn’t as sold on coming back to the Bucs as fans want him to be.

FAB 3. Would Mike Evans Really Leave Tampa Bay?

When Mike Evans ultimately retires, he wants to leave the game as one of the NFL’s best and most dominant receivers.

Evans currently has 13,052 career receiving yards, which ranks 21st all-time. The only receiver currently playing ahead of him is DeAndre Hopkins, who has 13,295 yards and ranks 18th. Travis Kelce is hot on Evans’ trail and has 13,002, which ranks 23rd in NFL history.

Had Evans avoided his injuries and recorded another 1,000 yards in 2025, he would have 13,684 yards and be ranked 17th – just behind Julio Jones (13,703) and ahead of Torry Holt (13,382). If Evans posts a 1,000-yard season in 2026 he’ll move up to 12th all-time ahead of James Lofton (14,004) and just behind Andre Johnson (14,185), who is ranked 11th.

Evans currently ranks 31st all-time in receptions with 866. Another 70 catches in 2026 would give him 936 and move him up to 26th – right ahead of Antonio Brown’s 928 receptions. But Evans is mostly known for his yards and his touchdowns, as he’s not a high-volume receiver when it comes to catches.

Evans is already a Top 10 receiver in NFL history with 108 touchdowns, ranking No. 10. With 10 more TDs in 2026, Evans would move up to No. 7 on that list with 118. Davante Adams currently ranks seventh with 117 and is the only player ahead of Evans who is still playing.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and RT Luke Goedeke – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Bob Donnan

But here’s the thing.

If Evans wants catches, yards and touchdowns, he can do that anywhere – playing for any team.

What will ultimately motivate Evans if he returns for another season or two? Is it continuing his legacy in Tampa Bay? Or is it winning – and chasing another championship at age 33?

This is something Bucs fans need to come to grips with and stop living in a fantasy dreamland where the only two options for Evans are Tampa Bay or retirement.

If he wants to win and compete for a second Super Bowl ring it’s probably not in Tampa Bay, right?

Do you honestly see the Bucs actually competing for a Super Bowl over the next two seasons given the step back they took this year with their 8-9 record, which halted the team’s playoff streak at five years?

Do you actually think the Bucs can win a Super Bowl with Todd Bowles as head coach?

I mean you Bucs fans are incredibly down on this team right now because ownership elected to retain Bowles for another season. Your confidence in Bowles being able to win more than 10 games and recapture the NFC South title is far from strong.

If you have some doubts about the Bucs’ chances of rebounding and making a Super Bowl run in 2026, don’t you have to think Evans might feel the same way?

If Evans wants to win in 2026 and have a legit shot at a Super Bowl it’s probably going to be with another franchise. That may not be what you want to hear, but it’s true.

Teams like New England, Buffalo, Kansas City, Jacksonville and San Francisco are legit contenders that could use a proven play-making weapon like Evans. Pauline actually mentioned the Patriots and Bills as potential interested teams.

How much faith does Evans have in Bowles’ ability to fix the defense – and do so in a hurry? Remember his sideline tirade in the waning moments of the Bucs’ 29-28 loss to the Falcons that saw Bowles’ defense blow a 14-point lead with 10 minutes left in Week 15?

Remember the video of a visibly frustrated Evans slamming his helmet on the wall at Raymond James Stadium and screaming “Third-and-28! Third-and-28!”

Evans was referencing an embarrassing defensive effort in which the Bucs allowed the Falcons to convert a first down on fourth-and-14 after allowing a 14-yard catch on third-and-28 – en route to kicking the game-winning field goal.

“I was extra emotional my first game back,” Evans said. “We lost the game as a team. It was just third-and-28 was the last thing that happened, and it just stuck in my brain. But we [have] to finish that offense, obviously. Twenty-eight points isn’t good enough.”

No, Mike.

In most games, 28 points should be good enough to win.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

If Evans doesn’t believe the Bucs can compete for a Super Bowl, then a lack of faith in Bowles’ defense is the culprit. And if he does want out of Tampa Bay that will likely be the reason why.

Remember, Evans actually thought about entering free agency back in 2024. He admitted that in his press conference shortly after signing a two-year extension with the Bucs in the 2024 offseason. Yet Evans didn’t mention any teams he was considering. Houston and Kansas City were the teams that people had speculated he might have been interested in at the time.

So if Evans was considering leaving the Bucs for another team coming off a 9-8 record, another NFC South title, and a big home playoff win over the Eagles back then at age 30 – how do you think he might feel now after losing the division and slumping to an 8-9 record as he’s about to turn 33?

I’m not trying to be negative. I would love to see Evans return to Tampa Bay and finish his career with the Bucs.

But I’ve seen John Lynch wind up in Denver, Warren Sapp end up in Oakland and Warrick Dunn spend half of his playing days in Atlanta. I’m a realist, and I understand that we don’t always get what we want in life. And not every Bucs player has a fairytale ending to his career.

Plus, if Tom Brady – the greatest NFL player of all-time – can play for another franchise in the twilight of his career, Evans certainly can, too.

If Evans wants to.

FAB 4. Mike Evans Witnessed Tom Brady Change Teams And Win It All

If you think the thought of Mike Evans leaving the Bucs would send shock-waves through the Tampa Bay fan base, imagine how Patriots fans felt seeing Tom Brady leave New England in 2020 after 20 seasons and six Super Bowl championships.

And imagine how Patriots fans felt watching Brady win a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay with Mike Evans and the Bucs that season.

The euphoria that Bucs fans felt in 2020 after Brady and Co. won Super Bowl LV was the polar opposite of how Patriots fans felt as New England slumped to 7-9, missing the playoffs that season without him.

But Evans saw firsthand how Brady was rejuvenated upon his arrival in Tampa Bay, and how he helped spark the Bucs to a Super Bowl championship. If he had not personally witnessed the impact Brady had on the team, Evans might be less inclined to possibly leave Tampa Bay free agency for a team better positioned to be a legit contender in 2026.

Bucs WR Mike Evans and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Brady quickly became a legend for two franchises, winning Super Bowls with both the Patriots and the Bucs. John Lynch did the same back in the day, winding up in the Rings of Honor for both the Bucs and the Broncos.

Maybe Evans feels like he can do that, too – be the missing piece that helps a Super Bowl-ready franchise get over the hump and win a championship.

Or perhaps Evans thinks the Bucs can rebound in 2026, and that new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can have the offense averaging close to 30 points per game like Tampa Bay did in 2020 during its Super Bowl season – and again with Liam Coen calling the plays in 2024.

Perhaps Evans thinks Jason Licht can stockpile the defense with new players – better players – in free agency and the NFL Draft this offseason. Perhaps he thinks Bowles can coach better in 2026 and prove that he can win more than 10 games in a season.

The big question for Evans this offseason won’t necessarily be whether he wants to play again or not. I think the answer to that is yes, he wants to play in 2026.

The real question is, will it be in Tampa Bay or elsewhere?

What’s more important to Mike Evans – fulfilling a Bucs legacy, or going to a team that has a better chance of winning a Super Bowl as time runs out on his Hall of Fame career?

Only Evans will know for sure – and chances are, he doesn’t quite know the answer just yet.

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• One more thing about Mike Evans and his faith – or perhaps lack of faith – in Todd Bowles. Evans said something interesting during that press conference in December following the team’s 29-28 loss to the Falcons. He said the Bucs benefited from having an additional practice leading up to the Thursday Night Football game against Atlanta.

“We kind of got lucky in that regard to have a Thursday night game so late, because guys are fresh, we’re able to get three practices in this week, so that should be good for us,” Evans said. “Football relies so much on timing, continuity [and] communication, and you can only get that if you practice it. It’s good for us to have these three practices – four really.”

Bucs WRs Emeka Egbuka – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Shortly after the end of the 2025 season, I reported how many players, including outside linebacker Yaya Diaby, who went on the record, were unhappy with Bowles’ penchant for almost weekly walk-through practices each Wednesday. Diaby and others stated that they did not feel adequately prepared for Sunday’s game without more actual practice time.

Due to injuries Bowles made the Bucs have eight walk-through practices after the bye week when Tampa Bay went 2-7 after only having four walk-through practices during the team’s 6-2 start prior to the bye. It’s clear from Evans’ comments that he feels similarly – that more practices are better for the team.

Is that something he plans to address with Bowles prior to deciding whether or not to return to the Bucs in 2026? Maybe, if he feels as strongly about it as Diaby and some of his teammates do.

• Bucs linebacker Lavonte David, who turned 36 on January 23, revealed that the door is open for his return for a 15th season if he wants to come back on a recent appearance on Up And Adams with Kay Adams. David also said that if Bucs head coach Todd Bowles wasn’t returning that he wouldn’t consider another season in red and pewter.

So what do I think happens now? If David, who was slowed by a knee injury last year, wants to play in 2026 he’ll be back to help Bowles save his job and attempt to turn the Bucs back into division winners. David’s play slipped last year, which is expected for a linebacker in his mid-30s. One thing is for sure, David is not going to get faster, better or healthier in 2026 at age 36. So his potential return does come at a risk for the Bucs and the play of their defense.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

But David knows Bowles’ defense inside and out, and there is some real value to that, especially to Bowles himself, as he calls the defense. A key part of the equation is just how much Tampa Bay values David from a salary cap standpoint? What type of contract does he fetch in 2026 after making $9 million last year? Is he worth that amount again – or more or less?

David’s return to Tampa Bay for a 15th season isn’t guaranteed, but it looks more likely given his disclosure on Adams’ show about the team putting the ball in his court to decide. The fact that he is tied with Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks for the most tackles in franchise history with 1,714 could also play a role. David’s first tackle in Week 1 in 2026 would give sole possession of that record in team annals.

• I hope you enjoyed our coverage from the Senior Bowl this past week on PewterReport.com and via the Pewter Report Podcasts. Matt Matera and I will have some exclusive scoop from Mobile, Ala. on Friday’s Pewter Insider podcast at 1:30 p.m. ET on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel. We’ll be talking about which players the Bucs were targeting at the Senior Bowl practices, which prospects had met with the Bucs extensively and some additional news on new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans.

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