Buccaneers WR Mike Evans Plans to Hit NFL Free Agency, per Report

The star receiver wants to explore his options on the open market.

Mike Evans will test the open market.

The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers star receiver plans to hit NFL free agency later this month, The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported Friday.

Per Russini, Evans wants to explore his options but hasn’t ruled out returning to the Buccaneers, who selected him with the No. 7 pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

WR Mike Evans plans to hit free agency for the first time in his career, per sources. Tampa and Evans are in discussions but he wants to explore his options. This doesn’t mean Evans' time as a Buc is over, but he plans on hearing from all teams before making a decision.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 2, 2024

Evans is one of the top receivers set to be available in free agency, along with Michael Pittman Jr., Marquise Brown and Calvin Ridley. He’ll hit the open market for the first time in his career after signing a five-year contract extension with Tampa Bay in 2018.

Over 10 seasons, Evans has compiled 762 receptions for 11,680 yards and 94 touchdowns. In 2023, the 30-year-old became the first player in NFL history to notch at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 seasons, logging 79 catches for 1,255 yards and a league-high 13 touchdowns.

Evans is a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time second team All-Pro. He was quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite target during the Buccaneers’ championship run in 2020, capped off by a 31–9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Evans tops the Buccaneers’ record books in just about every meaningful receiving category. But now he’ll have a chance to visit other teams in free agency and decide if he wants the next chapter to be in Tampa Bay or elsewhere.

The 2024 NFL free agency signing period officially opens March 13.