Mike Evans Reportedly 'Very Likely' to Return to Bucs, Latest NFL Rumors on Top FA WRs

Veteran wide receiver Mike Evans might be staying put this offseason.

The Athletic's James Palmer reported on the Scoop City podcast on Thursday that "there's a very likely chance he goes back" to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rather than signing elsewhere (6:45 mark).

If that's the case, free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce will be one of the top receivers left on the market. Palmer noted that some around the league have said Pierce could get "close to" $30 million per year.

Evans is coming off a season in which he recorded just 368 yards and three touchdowns, playing just eight games because of a hamstring injury and a broken collarbone.

In 2024, he had 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games, marking his 11th consecutive season with 1,000-plus yards. Whether he'll be able to return to that version of himself in 2026 remains to be seen.

Earlier this week, Evans' agent, Deryk Gilmore, said that Evans planned to explore his options on free agency.

"I just think that he basically wants to look at all 32 teams," Gilmore said on a Feb. 24 episode of The Drive with TKras (h/t Pewter Report).

The 32-year-old Evans likely isn't expecting to make WR1 money in 2026, given his age, but if another team besides the Bucs has a better offer for him, he might be willing to take it. According to Spotrac, Evans has a market value of $13.3 million per year.

The 25-year-old Pierce had the best season of his career in 2025, going for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns while posting the second-most yards per catch in the league (21.3).

There were rumblings of the Colts using the franchise tag on Pierce, but they instead opted to place a transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, sending Pierce to free agency.

Pierce is the top receiver remaining on Bleacher Report's free agency big board after the Dallas Cowboys tagged George Pickens. He's the No. 8 overall player.

While a handful of teams will likely put in an offer for Pierce, he's already been linked to the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots.