Buccaneers' 2026 prospects revealed after Mike Evans' free agency decision
This isn't good for the franchise.
Buccaneers' 2026 prospects revealed after Mike Evans' free agency decision originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew that Mike Evans was likely walking out the door as soon as the season ended.
With Evans exploring his options, most knew that he was going to play elsewhere in 2026... and he will be, with the San Francisco 49ers . The Buccaneers revealed they offered more than the 49ers did for Evans, and that says it all about how Mike viewed Tampa Bay's 2026 hopes.
And then there's this. CBS Sports' Garrett Podell has named the Buccaneers as a big loser of free agency due to Evans' decision. "Wide receiver Mike Evans is perhaps the best Tampa Bay Buccaneer ever," Podell wrote .
"For him to leave the franchise after 12 seasons means he gave up on being able to play relevant football in Tampa Bay. "There isn't any guaranteed money on the contract after Year 1, so it's essentially a one-year deal in which the 49ers have two team options. That says an awful lot about the Buccaneers' current prospects that Evans chose the arrangement with San Francisco over the comfort of his only NFL home where he has already won a Super Bowl.