Mike Evans Destinations: Best Landing Spots for the Veteran WR in NFL Free Agency

Evans will have plenty of options in free agency.

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will explore free agency this offseason. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

For the first time in his career, Mike Evans is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Evans’s agents told ESPN’s Kimberly A. Martin on Tuesday that Evans intends to play in 2026, but will be exploring his options on the open market with his contract set to expire.

Evans has spent his entire career with the Buccaneers, who drafted him in the first round in 2014 out of Texas A&M. A franchise great and Tampa Bay’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Evans could wind up donning a new uniform for the first time in his career next season.

Evans’s production speaks for itself. He and Jerry Rice are the only two players in league history to record 1,000-plus receiving yards in 11 straight seasons to start their careers. He’s caught 108 touchdowns in 176 games, is a six-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion. That type of experience is hard to come by in free agency, and Evans figures to have plenty of suitors this offseason.

Let’s look at some of the best fits for Evans on the open market.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Just because Evans is going to explore his options in free agency doesn’t mean his departure is inevitable. Leaving the organization where he’s spent his entire career will be a difficult decision, and if he doesn’t receive a substantial offer in free agency he could very well opt to return to Tampa Bay in 2026.

The Buccaneers have been to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, missing out in 2025 for the first time since 2019. Although the team underperformed last year, the playoffs are very much in reach for Tampa Bay. The team has strong pieces in place, with a solid offensive line and one of the game’s best quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield, foundations not every team can offer to the 32-year-old this offseason.

New England Patriots

After making a run to the Super Bowl in 2025, the Patriots could look to add more weapons to the offense around MVP runner-up Drake Maye. A tandem of Stefon Diggs and Evans could be devastating for opposing defenses and offer the young quarterback the opportunity to play with two of the league’s most established veterans.

Evans will likely be looking to land with a contender if he leaves Tampa Bay this offseason, and the Patriots make plenty of sense in that regard. He’d get to play under the reigning Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel, and Maye has as much potential and upside as any young quarterback in the league. New England would certainly be an intriguing fit for Evans in the offseason.

Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen hasn’t had a true No. 1 wide receiver since Stefon Diggs left the Bills. After falling short of their Super Bowl aspirations again in 2025, it may be time Buffalo goes out and gets one. Evans will be the best free agent receiver on the market this offseason, even at 32 years old and coming off an injury-riddled season.

Last year, the Bills didn’t have a single receiver with more than 720 receiving yards. Evans had 368 yards in eight games last season when healthy, which would put him on a 782-yard pace across a 17-game season. In an injury-free season, he’s still more than capable of reaching 1,000-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns. That is the exact type of receiver the Bills should be in pursuit of, making them a solid fit for Evans in free agency.

San Francisco 49ers

With Brandon Aiyuk out of the picture for the 49ers, and Jauan Jennings potentially set to depart the organization in free agency, San Francisco could suddenly find itself in need of a wide receiver this offseason. Ricky Pearsall still has tremendous potential but has struggled to stay healthy early on into his career. Adding Evans to the mix would help to bolster a 49ers offense that ranked 10th in the NFL in scoring last year, and would also enable Evans to pursue another championship, with Kyle Shanahan’s squad having been perennial contenders over the last seven-plus years.

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