Zac Robinson Meets The Media, Won’t Comment On Mike Evans Contact
January 27th, 2026
New Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.
New Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson talked to local media in a news conference setting for about 25 minutes today.
Lots to unpack. But Robinson is skilled in coachspeak and in being careful with his answers.
Nothing wrong with that.
Very interesting to Joe was Robinson talking about how close a friend he is to Jaguars head coach and 2024 Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Robinson said they talk daily and, it seems, that’s been their thing for many years.
As he should be, Robinson is very fired up to get working on using all his new toys.
“Great opportunity to have a collection of skill players,” Robinson said, adding the offense is a selfless group of guys and it shows up on tape. All they want to do is win.”
What about pending free agent receiver Mike Evans?
Robinson hopes he’s back in the fold, but the Bucs’ new playcaller was tight lipped. “I know he’s gotta work through a lot of things but [I] would obviously love an opportunity to work with Mike,” Robinson said.
Joe asked Robinson point blank if he’s talked to Evans since he got hired. “I’ll kind of leave that out,” Robinson replied.
Joe finds it hard to believe Evans didn’t reach out on some level, but perhaps, as Robinson said, Evans has “gotta work through a lot of things.”
January 27th, 2026 at 2:02 pm
It will be good if Mike came back
But, this offense can succeed without him
January 27th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
That’s a Glazers kind of a guy right? tight lipped.
January 27th, 2026 at 2:10 pm
Evans probably wants out
January 27th, 2026 at 2:13 pm
He doesn’t have Bijan Robinson, Drake London, or Kyle Pitts to work with any more. However, I think he has a better QB and much deeper receiving corp than he had in Atlanta. And, as they say, the QB makea all the difference. Hopefully, Baker will recover from whatever caused his mid-season slump before the 2026 action gets underway.
January 27th, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Mike carried the team on his back time after time, contract extensions, reworked to give the team a hand and just being one of the best in your face and behind your back. Love him and all but, Mike if you want to go get paid one more year elsewhere, you deserve it!! Come back home and retire please..
January 27th, 2026 at 2:27 pm
Cleanhouse Says:
January 27th, 2026 at 2:10 pm
Evans probably wants out
BINGO!!!!!!
Klint Kubiak was the guy!!!!…
GO BUCS!!!!
January 27th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
Well of course they have had a conversation. Without saying it, he basically acknowledged it and of course is not going to share it!!. My guess is he simply told Mike if he isn’t going to retire he would love to work with him in putting Together a great offense and how Mike would thrive in it. Put money on that!!!
January 27th, 2026 at 2:34 pm
Escape from The Buccaneers begins.
January 27th, 2026 at 2:36 pm
I’m not sure he wants out because he is out cuz he is a free agent but he could retire.
January 27th, 2026 at 2:36 pm
Mike will play for the Bucs his 13th season. He’ll get 1300 yards, and 13 TDs. He’ll retire after that a Buc legend.
January 27th, 2026 at 2:38 pm
Maybe ROB can lean on coen to see what worked so well when he was our OC. I want all my friends to be successful so when they reach about stuff in my profession I spill all the beans. Hopefully coen does the same with ROB
January 27th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Joe asked Robinson point blank if he’s talked to Evans since he got hired. “I’ll kind of leave that out,” Robinson replied.
I find it very odd his answer when asked about speaking with Big Mike. Why couldn’t he just say:
“He sent me a quick text and hopes we are working together.”
“Yea, we spoke. Mike’s a great guy, HOFer and I hope things work out that he stays here in Tampa.”
Just very weird to me. Then again, it’s more weird that Todd Bowles still has a job with this team.
January 27th, 2026 at 2:51 pm
Remember systems don’t matter, coaches do. Let me ask you this: would you rather have a great system with a crappy coach, or a crappy system with a great coach? Door number two for me every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Here is what matters to me: Can Robinson run a practice? Can he watch film and learn what he is supposed to learn? Can he teach that to the players? Can he recognize which players can contribute and what are their strengths and weaknesses? It’s those things that produce winners.
January 27th, 2026 at 3:48 pm
And the next coach of the 2027 NYJ , Zack Robinson ,,, thanks again Baker
January 27th, 2026 at 3:49 pm
He shouldn’t comment since Vegas odds have the Bucs at +4000 right now to win the SB next season. We love ME13 too much to ask him to stay here and deal with this dumptser fire. He needs to leave and join a team that has an actual shot at winning it all. He can come back to Tampa when he retires and live out the rest of his days being the local legend that he is!
January 27th, 2026 at 3:56 pm
Why would anyone ask an offensive coordinator about contracts on a pending FA? He doesn’t handle that at all, and has no inside knowledge of what the talks are at this stage! So why even ask?
January 27th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
Weird comment. Maybe Mike is leaning on retirement and Zac wants Evans to tell the fans. IDK. Just a really odd comment.
January 27th, 2026 at 4:20 pm
“My Guy, too cheap to pay for a haircut, even before a big press conference. He’s gonna work out well here.” – Hugh
January 27th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
Sounds like Robinson and Evans talked and Mike said that he needed to work some things out – I’m guessing he is still discussing with his family about the pros and cons of staying here. Mike should and will have those conversations first before having talks with Zack. No surprise to Bucs fans there.
January 27th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
Bucs Nation, let’s just be honest. This team does not know how to live without Mike Evans. Go back over the last two years, game by game. You know that’s the case.
Exhibit B — given our receiver spending, it’s hard to justify $20m plus for Mike, given likely games missed and Godwin’s contract.
He doesn’t just command attention from opposing defenses, he commands probably more attention from his own team.
As much as it pains me to say it, it’s time to move on.
All I ask is that he goes to an AFC team.
Until further notice he remains the Bucs best offensive player of all time, and firmly on our Mount Rushmore.
January 27th, 2026 at 5:11 pm
Re-sign Mike. We don’t win in the playoffs without him!
January 27th, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Evans probably has as much faith in Toilet Bowles as the rest of us
January 27th, 2026 at 5:48 pm
Zac is doing the right thing despite the unfounded hate on here. That’s between Zac, Mike and the organization. Nothing good comes from revealing their communication to the media. Nothing at all.
January 27th, 2026 at 5:49 pm
Happy Birthday to Big Coop! Gotta stop the presser to get everybody to tell your little man happy birthday. Lil guy had his creamsicle on too, he ready
January 27th, 2026 at 6:08 pm
Finally. A well-spoken, intelligent, charismatic, good looking guy. Yay.
January 27th, 2026 at 6:09 pm
Mike is an intelligent young man. The following is going through his head:
There is no record to chase.
Todd is still here so the defensive scheme is not going to change.
Todd gave up and ask the captains to find a solution to the defensive problems because he had no clue how to fix it.
Todd refuse to bench Baker when he was hurt.
If Baker gets hurt again his passes are not guaranteed to be good ones as it was on some passes to Ebuka in the se one half of the season.
3-28 conversion
4-14 conversion
I don’t blame him if he doesn’t come back.
He also has to think about referees not respecting him. On the play that he broke his collarbone the defender was on top of Mike before the ball got to him. There was no flag. SMH
January 27th, 2026 at 6:11 pm
^Mike is a future hall of famer.
January 27th, 2026 at 6:30 pm
Did bro just call our new offensive coordinator good looking on a football site 😳
January 27th, 2026 at 6:44 pm
Not a bro, bro!! Women like this site!
January 27th, 2026 at 6:58 pm
Did bro just dis our new OC because he doesn’t like his haircut ? Lol 🙂
January 27th, 2026 at 7:15 pm
I hope Mike is loyal to the organization. I know money talks and he’d probably love to play in Houston but this is his home now and I guess time will tell. Fingers 🤞
January 27th, 2026 at 7:26 pm
I APPRECIATED THESE COMMENTS MOST:
We’re going to turn this franchise around. We’re going for the #1 pick.
With Bowles Defense, My Offense, and Licht’s pass rushers we can do it!
January 27th, 2026 at 7:35 pm
@Bucs4Life, mad props
@SlyPirate, even madder props
January 27th, 2026 at 7:46 pm
Mike has some things to work through = He needs to decide if he wants to keep playing in Tampa at a vastly lower salary point than he’s been at for a long long time!
IMO, Mike is no longer a $20M/yr WR1…Probably not a $7M/yr WR3…And it would be best for him to retire a life-long Buc…or roll the dice with a new club for a yr to prove to himself whether he still has “it” left in him…. But not return to Bucs in a player capacity.
He held off Father Time for a few extra years, but has lost that race. His body & mind are not on the same page. It showed up in spades in 2025. 2026 would not provide revitalization, just more realization that ME was well past his prime & no longer an asset on the outside. No longer creating separation or snagging the contested back-shoulder opportunities that made him great.
None of that takes away from his HOF career…He’s still a 1st ballot candidate and one of the best WR’s to ever play the game…It’s just that the NFL is a business and there’s a real business case to be made that Mike is beyond the ROI threshold & it would be bad money spent on his return.
Jersey sales do not equate to Wins…& this Bucs team should be about finding W’s vs selling “last go round” merch.
January 27th, 2026 at 7:55 pm
Mike is NOT gonna leave his city and try and find a new team…new home for his family…new QB…and new system to learn, even though they all have had to do that recently , when a solid O.C can ignite this team and his stats again…plus he is Jason’s first ever pick and will want him to retire here as a BUC for life!…book it
January 27th, 2026 at 9:04 pm
Genuinely curious…when was the last time J-Licht held a similar presser? Maybe he did after the regular season and I missed it. Maybe he’s gone to ground knowing he has a few things to answer for.
January 27th, 2026 at 9:13 pm
catcard202. The game against Atlanta, after a pretty quick collarbone return, showed me he’s all about competing. After catching 140 yards worth of passes and then to see the despair(anger) on his face as he yelled 3rd and 28! Third and 28!!
January 27th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
@Lakeland,
The Bucs struggled in the redzone without Mike in the lineup. Just having him on the field takes attention away from another receiver. Getting Mike back, happy is a HUGE net positive. Mike is still productive when healthy.
January 27th, 2026 at 9:57 pm
Mike Evans belongs right here in Tampa until he (and only he) decides to depart down any path feels is best. He’s earned that right and respect from all of us.
Just one man’s opinion.
January 27th, 2026 at 9:57 pm
Baking with robinson: there actually is one record NE could still chase: Jerry Rice had 14 1000 yard seasons so Mike probably could go after that mark. Three more 1000 yard seasons out of Mike seems like a reach but if he gets to that number in 2026, then he might think about 2027….. Granted he might be on another team next season such as Houston, which is so close to his home town. Some people says he is Bauffalo bound but i think that is the Bills mafia speaking, what WR would want to play for that organization after the owner threw the FSU WR under the bus. KC not as appealing as it was 2 years ago, their window might have closed but a healthy mahomes could have another run in him.
January 27th, 2026 at 10:08 pm
Gotta work through the fact that ownership retained Todd bowles
January 27th, 2026 at 10:52 pm
Mike’s 3rd and 28 reaction said it all. He’s not done and he’s a Buc for life.
He’s not too old. Athletes in all sports face a time when they have to decide whether or not they can/will train to be the player they want to be when the season starts.
And, we know that he’s got to be pissed that he missed his chance to beat Rice on the consecutive 1K yd seasons; enough to come back for a “show’em all” year!
We wouldn’t be the same without you Mike. Let’s do one more!!
January 28th, 2026 at 12:27 am
It’s not appropriate for an OC to comment on contract situations
January 28th, 2026 at 4:26 am
Hoping that Mike comes back and understand why Zac wouldn’t want to fully comment on anything like that yet. However, you gave us a nugget Joe. He did say “He would love the opportunity to work with Mike.” He threw that out there, didn’t have to.
Hodad Says: “Mike will play for the Bucs his 13th season. He’ll get 1300 yards, and 13 TDs. He’ll retire after that a Buc legend.” Hoping your words come true. Wishing on a star for that!
January 28th, 2026 at 6:51 am
I found the response odd at the time, wondering why he didnt just say yes or no and leave it at that and even say it’s not his place to comment on contracts. Just appeared he didnt want to reveal anything. Hoping its not bad news.
January 28th, 2026 at 7:00 am
Ben – I am hoping they are in the middle of talks with Mike, similar to what Matt commented above. He did say he would love the opportunity to work with Mike. That is a good hint.
January 28th, 2026 at 12:09 pm
I love Mike when healthy but these last couple of seasons he has been injury prone. His game is so vertical, Baker isn’t very good throwing the ball downfield. Even inaccurate Jameis Winston knew how to throw a back shoulder to Mike on the Bake only throws fastballs and didn’t look very accurate to me this season.
Bucs are going to need to get Ebuka to bulk up a little so he can be a more physical receiver. He is a great route runner but has to develop into a more QB friendly WR who can get open quicker and isn’t strictly a vertical route runner.
Bucs are not ready this season to be a top 10 NFC team. Expect 6-7 wins based on schedule and Bowles history of losing big games.