Mike Evans A “Boom Or Bust” Free Agent
March 3rd, 2026
Gamble to sign?
Joe would gladly take a chance on the “boom.”
Are there questions with dropping tens of millions of Team Glazer loot in Mike Evans’ lap? A couple. Mostly due to his durability.
Sure, Evans always has hamstring issues. Joe doesn’t expect that to change no matter where Evans plays. And given how he broke his collarbone last year and missed a bunch of games as a result, is that a sign Evans may be turning brittle?
Matt Okada of NFL.com has a list of free agents that he believes are all boom-or-bust candidates. Evans is one.
With Evans set to turn 33 years old in August, it’s fair to wonder whether the six-time Pro Bowler has lost a step over the last couple years.
Evans posted a career low in yards per reception in 2024 (13.6) and then again in 2025 (12.3). His yards per route run (1.6), catch rate (48.4%) and passer rating when targeted (69.8) all hit new career lows in 2025, as well, and he scored just three touchdowns in eight games after totaling 24 over the previous two seasons. It’s that 2023-24 output that keeps Evans high in most free-agent rankings: No one recorded more receiving touchdowns over that span.
Whether Evans finally plays somewhere new or returns to the Bucs, the question will be whether he still has the juice to be an outside WR1 and dominate in the red zone — and whether the price reflects the production. If so, he’ll be an excellent signing. If not, he could be an aging cap sink.
Well, Joe saw Evans in training camp last year — every practice (Joe hasn’t missed a Bucs training camp practice in like three years) — and Evans may have had the best training camp of his career. He just worked the Bucs defense (poor Benjamin Morrison). The only guy who seemed to slow Evans down was Jamel Dean.
Now were Evans’ numbers down because of Josh Grizzard? Perhaps. Evans sure looked like he had the juice when he piled up 132 yards on Atlanta on Thursday Night Football.
But to be fair to Okada, the history of receivers being stars in their 30s is more outlier than the norm.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:13 am
I’m probably alone with my thoughts but I’d like to see Evans on a Super Bowl contender to cap off his incredible career. He’s not getting another ring here. This team is not a contender at the moment. He’ll be a Buc when he gets to the HOF. That said I’d try and get him another ring and make a deal on draft day or at least free up the cap space for more defense. The receivers room is deep on this team. Let the youngsters step up and use Evans’ money on the defensive side of the ball unless Evans agrees to stay for dirt cheap but what would he do that for a team not contender ready. Imagine him in Denver? He’d be a stud and it would be fun watching him make a run at another ring. Meanwhile we’d have him to thank to help the Bucs for the future.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:21 am
I like Mike, but I have No Problem letting Lavonte and him go.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:26 am
Evan’s reach, wingspan, length, are assets that will diminish far more slowly than other receivers’ skill sets.
There is no doubt in my mind that Evans can still be one of the top 5 NFL red zone targets for probably as long as he wants to play.
The wide receivers who have joined the NFL in the last few years and have been compared to Mike are just poor examples of him.
Mikes target extension will make him a stud for any QB that he plays for.
If fans want to see him gone, so be it. Just realize once he is gone, there will never, ever be another receiver on the Buc’s squad that will be as elite as him for his red zone efficiency.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:28 am
I questioned at the time, why the hell did he play against the Lions??? Coming of a h/s injury and the likelyhood the Bucs odds of beating the Lions on their house sure was a stupid move..
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:31 am
I just wonder if the broken clavicle is a sign that Mike’s body is really breaking down. I hope not, but it’s possible. I’m actually a lot more concerned with Zach Robinson after the negative news from Atlanta – Zach didn’t adapt in his second year and the NFLPA score of C- has created some more doubt in my mind.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:51 am
Love Mike but I’m cool with him going wr room has potential gotta let go to see it thrive cuz this is the future.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:54 am
That’s a nice action shot there. Great photo of Mike in the throwbacks.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:56 am
Shocking decision to choose Chris over Mike. Another HORRIBLE move by Lickt.
March 3rd, 2026 at 9:56 am
Boom with the right QB.
Mike had alot of time off to see Devante Adams w/Stafford putting numbers up. With Nacua on the field to keep heat off Adams and Stafford feeding him, the WR didn’t need a 1,000 yards to put 14 TDs up for the second time tying his 2nd highest TD season of his career.
Adams & Evans have been running neck in neck towards Canton for the last few years. Mike has the edge in yardage, but Adams overtook Evans in score and has run away from Mike in terms of receptions.
I think if the two retired the same year, Adams might be ahead of Mike in that long HOF WR line in terms of getting a gold jacket.
We know how competitive Mike is, and I wouldn’t put it past him having some type of internal competition with Adams.
March 3rd, 2026 at 10:02 am
Bust???? Seriously, come on Joseph….let’s get serious
March 3rd, 2026 at 10:13 am
JimBobBuc …I’m convinced that OCs are basically only as good as the QB they have to work with. Coen had a great year here in 2024, and Baker stayed healthy and was hot. Grizz had a crappy 2025 year here, and Baker was injured for at least half the season and was very inconsistent.
Zac Robinson’s offense in Atlanta performed somewhat better in 2024 than it did in 2025.
o Falcons had a 8-9 record in 2024 and a 8-9 record in 2025.
o Falcons scored 389 pts in 2024 (22.9 PPG), scoring 21 Passing TDs & 18 Rushing TDs. They scored 353 pts in 2025 (20.8 PPG), scoring 19 Passing TDs & 17 Rushing TDs.
o Falcons had a 39.2% Third Down Conversion % in 2024 versus only a 33.3% Third Down Conversion % in 2025. They had a 67.7% Fourth Down Conversion Rate in 2024 versus a 50.0% Fourth Down Conversion Rate in 2025.
Falcons’ QB play was inconsistent at best in both seasons. They started off 2024 reasonably well (6-3 after 9 games), all with Kirk Cousins starting. But then they stumbled big-time, going 2-6 in their last 8 games (sound familiar?). Cousins ended the season at 7-7 (66.9% passing but 16 INTs), while Penix finished 1-2 (59.1% passing but only 3 INTs).
Things went downhill in 2025 even though they again finished 8-9 on the season. But the story was reversed. They started very slow (3-7 after 10 games), but finished by winning 5 of their last 7 games. Cousins ended the season at 5-3 (61.7% passing but 5 INTs), while Penix finished 3-6 (60.1% passing and only 3 INTs).
I’m HOPEFUL that Robinson gained a LOT of good experience with the Falcons in 2024 & 2025 and that pays off for US in 2026. Bucs just have to make sure we give him something to work with.
March 3rd, 2026 at 10:45 am
“Coen had a great year here in 2024, and Baker stayed healthy and was hot. Grizz had a crappy 2025 year here, and Baker was injured for at least half the season and was very inconsistent.”
Way too simplistic to tell the full story, and the QB play wasn’t even the biggest difference between the 2 seasons. The virality of our run game was and our backfields’ contribution in our passing attack. Go look at the numbers, it was the best backfield performance of a team Mayfield has been apart of since he was with Hunt & Chubb in Cleveland in 2020.
Attempts and yardage were almost identical running the ball. ’20 Browns rushed for 21 TDs compared to our 16, but our RBs caught 6 TDs compared to their 5 receiving TDs.