The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already checked two major boxes on their offseason to-do list, locking in their offensive and special teams coordinators. But with the coaching staff largely in place, the spotlight now shifts to the roster-and the biggest question looming over Tampa Bay is whether Mike Evans will be back for a 13th season.
Evans, the franchise’s all-time receiving leader and a future Hall of Famer, just wrapped up what was arguably the most challenging year of his career. Injuries hit early and hard.
A hamstring issue in Week 3 sidelined him until Week 7. Then, in his first game back under the Monday Night Football lights, Evans suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion diving for a pass.
He didn’t return until Week 15, showing flashes of his old self down the stretch, but the damage had already been done to one of the most impressive streaks in NFL history.
For the first time in his career, Evans didn’t reach 1,000 receiving yards. The streak ends at 12-still tied with Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career.
Evans finished the year with 30 catches, 368 yards, and three touchdowns across eight games. A solid output considering the circumstances, but not the kind of season we’re used to seeing from No.
So the question becomes: is that how Mike Evans wants to close the book on his NFL career?
Evans hasn’t tipped his hand. When asked late in the season about his future, he didn’t commit either way. But if you’re reading between the lines, Evans sounds more like a guy preparing for another run than one ready to walk away.
Bruce Arians, Evans’ former head coach and a member of the Bucs Ring of Honor, weighed in recently on the “Up & Adams Show.” And he made it clear-he’d be stunned if Evans called it a career.
“I don’t know about Mike,” Arians said. “I think Lavonte [David] probably is going to retire, but I never count him out.
He goes back every year, so how he’s feeling, and the guy’s amazing. He just stays in great shape.
I think Mike, I would be shocked if Mike retires.”
It’s a sentiment that makes sense. David, who just wrapped up his 14th season and recently turned 36, plays a physically demanding position that requires him to be on the field nearly every down.
Linebackers don’t get the luxury of rotating in and out like receivers do. Evans, meanwhile, has been able to preserve his body better over the years thanks to strategic usage and his ability to win in different ways-whether that’s deep downfield, on intermediate routes, or in the red zone.
David is also in the Hall of Fame conversation, but Evans still has milestones within reach. He’s climbing the all-time charts in both receiving yards and touchdowns and is within striking distance of cracking the top 10 in both categories. For a player who’s already cemented his legacy in Tampa Bay, there’s still plenty of history left for Evans to chase.
Arians, who coached both Evans and David during his three-year run in Tampa, has always been a straight shooter. And if you listen to how he talks about both players, it feels like he sees David riding off into the sunset while Evans suits up for at least one more season in red and pewter.
As for where Evans might play if he does return, that’s another layer to the story. He’s set to become a free agent, and there’s always the possibility he could sign with a team closer to his hometown of Galveston, Texas-like the Houston Texans-or one that’s more firmly in the Super Bowl hunt.
But realistically, it’s hard to picture him in anything other than a Bucs uniform. If he’s playing next season, the smart money says it’s in Tampa.
Arians also touched on another hot topic during his appearance: Baker Mayfield’s recent comments about his exit from Cleveland. Mayfield took a shot at Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski-his former coach with the Browns-saying Stefanski never even spoke to him after the team traded him.
Arians, who never coached Mayfield but has been a vocal supporter of the quarterback, didn’t hold back.
“I definitely think when you trade a player away, you talk to him,” Arians said. “I don’t think it’s a silent treatment, for sure.
I can see how Baker feels. I’d feel the same way if I was him.”
It’s not surprising to see Arians back Mayfield. The two share a similar competitive fire, and Arians has always appreciated players who wear their emotions on their sleeve. Mayfield brought that edge to Tampa the moment he arrived, and it’s part of what endeared him to Bucs fans throughout the season.
Arians also made an appearance on the Pewter Report Podcast earlier this season, reflecting on his favorite moments as Bucs head coach, his thoughts on today’s NFL, and even how his Super Bowl-winning squad would fare in a hypothetical matchup against Jon Gruden’s 2002 championship team.
But for now, all eyes in Tampa are on two franchise legends-Mike Evans and Lavonte David-as they weigh their next moves. One may be ready to hang up the cleats.
The other? Don’t count him out just yet.