Jeremy Fowler: Re-Signing Mike Evans Is A “Top Priority”
November 22nd, 2025
Ready to fight Father Time one more year?
Well, this sure caught Joe’s eye.
Over the summer, Joe poked around to see what the future is for future Hall of Famer Mike Evans. When Joe did light snooping, Evans was readying himself for the final year of his contract.
The folks Joe spoke to honestly had no idea (then) if Evans wanted to retire or not. Maybe this is also part of the reason the Bucs drafted Emeka Egbuka? They were bracing themselves?
Well, buried in a larger story about NFL team needs for all 32 clubs, is this short item from well-connected ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler. It seems to suggest Evans is learning toward playing more football.
Fowler typed that the priority for the Bucs during free agency in March is to bring back Evans. If he doesn’t retire.
Pending free agent to watch: Mike Evans, WR. He is a top priority because he’s a timeless offensive playmaker. Evans turned 32 in August and is out for an extended period because of a broken collarbone. Retirement is on the table, but he is still a force when healthy. It’s hard to envision him playing in any other color but Bucs pewter next season. The Bucs would like to keep their core together, a preference that will be tested with free agent tight end Cade Otton as well.
Has Fowler been tipped that Evans hasn’t ruled out retirement? Has Fowler been tipped that Evans doesn’t want to go out with this terrible season being the last one folks remember?
Joe doesn’t think Fowler would type that a “top priority” for a team is to re-sign a guy who won’t buckle another chin strap again after the season ends.
Legal free agency tampering begins March 9. That’s only one month after the Super Bowl.
Ira Kaufman Talks Rams Matchup & Predictions, High-Profile Darts At Todd Bowles, Bucky Irving Status, And Much More
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:02 am
Hoping he can resign him and LaVonte for one more hoorah.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:06 am
I love Evans…and Lavonte…but it’s time to move on.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:10 am
Evans has a good 2-3 seasons LVD has 1-2 seasons left. Give or take. Go Bowles silly defense.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:18 am
My wish every year is to watch this team play when completely healthy. It hasn’t happened in five years. And we all know what happened five years ago. Go Bucs!
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:19 am
Yeah if you want an off injured player. Get younger,need players to play.Maybe David ,stays on the field. But need quicker players. Need another OC too. If we don’t make playoffs there will be new coach and won’t have to worry about that. Love Todd as a person but remember if you don’t go deep in playoffs people get tired of it.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:25 am
David is finished, have you people been watching? One of the reasons our defense is a mess is because of the play of both Dennis, and David. Evan’s hamstrings won’t be getting any looser, and bones less brittle at age 33 next season. The other factor for both might be a coaching change. This season isn’t going as planned. Same as last year mid season collapse coming out of a bye. Bowles job can’t be safe. Even pulling an NFC South title might not be enough. This team might not even do that this year. He’d have to be fired if that happens.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:28 am
I have been working on a roster list with players in the appropriate listings to help with future outlook. As the season progresses, I hope to narrow things down into two categories. (Safe Players to Build Around) and (Upgradable/Tradable Players) Opinions and insight are welcomed.
Safe Players to Build Around
Antoine Winfield Jr. – S
Graham Barton – OL
Bucky Irving – RB
Yaya Diaby – LB/DE
Tristan Wirfs – OT
Baker Mayfield – QB
Cody Mauch – OL
Luke Goedeke – OL
Tykee Smith – LB/S
Sean Tucker – RB
Jacob Parrish – CB
Benjamin Morrison – CB
Tez Johnson – WR
Emeka Egbuka – WR
Developmental / Depth Players
Kameron Johnson – WR
Ryan Miller – WR
Benjamin Chukwuma – OL
Elijah Klein – OL
Markees Watts – LB/EDGE
Deion Jones – LB
John Bullock – LB
Tanner Taula – TE
Devin Culp – TE
Owen Wright – RB
David Walker – LB/EDGE
Special Teams
Evan Deckers – LS
Riley Dixon – P
Chase McLaughlin – K
Good Players but Past Their Prime
Mike Evans – WR
Lavonte David – LB
Vita Vea – DT
Chris Godwin – WR
Decent Players but Injury-Prone
Calijah Kancey – DL
Jamel Dean – CB
Upgradeable / Tradable Players
Haason Reddick – LB/DE
Logan Hall – DL
SirVocea Dennis – LB
Ben Bredeson – OL
Cade Otton – TE
Zyon McCollum – DB
Chris Braswell – LB
Rachaad White – RB
Sterling Shepard – WR
Anthony Nelson – LB/EDGE
Teddy Bridgewater – QB
Josh Williams – RB
Charlie Heck – OL
Payne Durham – TE
Ko Kieft – TE
Christian Izien – S
Kaevon Merriweather – S
Rashad Wisdom – S.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:30 am
Do you guys remember Julio Jones playing for us at age 33?
Get ready to lower your expectations…
LOL!
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:33 am
SteveK … Bucs just can’t afford to hang on to so many aging superstars. No way we can compete with the younger teams in the NFC like the Lions, Packers & Rams if we keep having to deal with such high injury/non-availability rates.
Bucs have a tremendous amount of money tied up in older players.
o Lavonte David (35): $9.0 mil annual salary
o Mike Evans (32): $20.5 mil annual salary
o Haason Reddick (31): $14.0 mil annual salary
o Vita Vea (30): $17.7 mil annual salary
o Jamel Dean (29): $4.3 mil annual salary
o Chris Godwin (29): $22.0 mil annual salary
Just those 6 players, all of whom will be over 30 next season, are tying up $87.5 mil of annual salary right now. That’s a tad over 30% of our total 2025 salary CAP ($284 mil). Now evaluate the productivity we’ve gotten from that group for that 30% cost.
It’d be great if we could solve all of our problems via the draft, but that’s impractical. Going through next year the SAME THING we’ve been going through this year isn’t the answer. But using some of that money to ‘buy’ quality (and younger) free agents is a viable way to improve our team. Personally I’d keep Vita Vea & Chris Godwin for another year (assuming good productivity the rest of the year), and maybe even try to re-sign Jamel Dean for a year (doubt he wants that though). But Jason Licht needs to start looking at signing
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:36 am
Nah, let him go. Too old and too fragile. Draft another Buckeye reciever.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:38 am
Licht has to know when to let these guys walk when they start declining. Play the comp pick game. He doesn’t have to keep the same guys their whole career, no matter how much we love them. He needs to build a winning team. It is a good look though and good for the community so I understand.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:39 am
Marine Buc … ‘Do you guys remember Julio Jones playing for us at age 33?’
I was wondering who’d be the first to bring up Julio. Gave us 10 games that season, wow. And almost made it to 300 yards receiving. That was a wonderful $6 mil GIFT Bucs gave him.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:41 am
Amazing. Man breaks his collarbone after 11 1k seasons “Time to move on”.
Interesting how we’re not a good red zone offense right now, I wonder what’s missing…..?
Nah, throw it to Tez, he’s the new thing!!
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:41 am
Bucs are not forward thinking, too much capitulating to fans hanging on to nostalgia, and the optics of a team that keeps their own guys. Plus they simply cannot bare the thought of Evans playing in another uniform. Never mind that literally almost every great player in history spent their remaining year or two with another team. Emmitt smith, Jerry Rice, TOM BRADY. It’s almost like an inferiority complex with the Bucs BRAND, where we put player over team. There is a one HUNDRED percent chance Evans will not be playing all 17 games next yr. There is a better than 80% chance he will not play 14 games. What’re we doing here. However, I can reconcile Evans more than lavonte David, who is a shell of himself. We have got to get younger and faster, period. PRIORITY should be edge rusher, and linebacker, finding another true X Receiver. But here we go, pinning our hopes and dreams on Godwin and Evans, two guys that can’t stay healthy, one of which (Godwin) may also be a complete shell of himself until proven otherwise. And no, they aren’t paying him for 3 catches and 26 yards ROD. They’re paying Godwin for 7/110 and a TD, and take coverage away from Ebuka
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:45 am
Two year deal for M1K3!!! Kick rocks if you disagree!!! I want to avoid a Mike Evansless Buccaneers as long as possible!
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:45 am
So Mike is so old that his bones are now brittle?
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:46 am
Agreed Drunk Bucs Fan. Mike changes the way defense is played. We can resign him and prepare for life after Mike.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:47 am
I love Mike, and he is up there as one of my fav Bucs ever. However, let’s be real, this hamstring issue isn’t going away. Been happening consistently these last few years.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:48 am
Sorry to say it, but it looks like Evans is finished. Doesn’t look explosive like he once was and the injuries are frequent now. It’s time to move on.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:50 am
@ DR
Exactly right.
And I agree with you – Sign Vea to another short-term deal.
Bring back Godwin and hope for the best – we don’t have much of a choice due to the guaranteed money we owe him anyways.
Let the rest go elsewhere and use their money to sign younger/better free agents.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:52 am
LVD has been my guy since we drafted him. But he time has passed. To me.
– Vita
– Godwin (under contract)
– Mike (big reduction swan song deal)
Dean is gone. Reddick is done.
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:53 am
Let Mike Evans walk? What in the world are you talking about?
November 22nd, 2025 at 8:55 am
Missing Mike big time. He needs to be signed. Yes, a top priority.
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:06 am
And 9 million for Lavonte David? He’s gonna earn every penny of that this home stretch alone. Vita, absolutely keep him. Defense this draft get the best middle linebacker on the board and follow up with the best defensive tackle on the board. Then the next 4 picks take the best defensive players available. Then, for the seventh pick, grab the best offensive playmaker. Walker and Kancey will be tearing stuff up next year and with 6 more rookies on that side of the ball we should be good. News Flash. This season isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:08 am
lol what loyal fans you are to guy who helped build this franchise post 2002.
Of course ME is coming back. No athlete wants to end their career in an injury. Plus I can wager to say he really wants a full season with Chris and EE. Even at half mast, ME13 will be getting doubled team, and if not, BOOM big play!
If he comes back I’m excited to see him play without the weight of the Jerry rice record. No more forcing the ball the Mike and him feeling some kind of way in the sideline when he’s not getting fed.
Lavonte? He would be a great signing as a depth LB and pseudo coach – he looks much slower and getting targeted when in coverage
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:13 am
Oh, Jeremy need not worry. Throwing large chunks of cap money at injured, washed out, and/or unproven potential is Jason Licht’s specialty. I expect top dollar for Mike only for him to have a mystery injury for 75% of the season and retire by season’s end leaving a cap hit for the following year.
Then we can pass on significant free agents as we exclaim how amazing JL is at drafting virtuous China dolls
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:16 am
Buccaneers have 4 losses. Lions have 4 losses. Packers have 3 losses and a tie Buffalo has 4 losses. KC has 5 losses. 49ers have 4 losses Houston has 5 losses. Buccaneers have a younger roster than all but the Packers including two offensive and one defensive player on injured reserve. All teams mentioned above were predicted to win more games than the Buccaneers. We have lost only one game in which we were favored and that was to the hottest team in football .We’ve played the 4th toughest schedule in the league. Our fans are a bunch of whiners. We have not underperformed. It is absurd to suggest that injuries don’t matter. On paper we had a super bowl capable roster. But not with 5 starters playing less than half the games in the starting offensive line never playing even one game together. There is a difference between making excuses and giving explanations.
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:21 am
@ Kenton
“Kancey will be tearing stuff up next year”
Right – he will probably tear up his calf again or ankle or knee or shoulder or…
At this point Kancey needs to play a full season or he won’t be earning his 5th year option with the Bucs and he probably won’t be in the league much longer.
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:30 am
Sorry buddy but Cade Otton is not the answer. He has problem holding on to the ball, has butter fingers, does not know how to come back to the ball, he sits n wait on the pass giving the defender ample time to break up the pass. He’s not reliable during crunch time.
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:32 am
I love Evans but he is just so injury prone these last few years.
November 22nd, 2025 at 9:55 am
not even a flag on mike evans mugging pass intefernce on his back could not control landing thnx refs and whoeever that was was trying to cover him
November 22nd, 2025 at 10:04 am
You make a good point Marine Buc. But you gotta admit, when Calijah gets on a roll, he can tear stuff up.
November 22nd, 2025 at 10:10 am
Buddha … ‘There is a difference between making excuses and giving explanations.’
On that we agree 100%. But 1 person’s explanation is sometimes viewed by others as an excuse. That’s reality.
Injuries are a classic example IMO. They all matter, but some matter more than others, depending upon (1) the duration of the injury; (2) which position group it’s impacting; and (3) the DEPTH we have in that position group.
You used our OLine as an example. By my standards the Bucs had a Top-5 OLine last year, and because of that (and Baker & our weapons) we had the #4 Rushing Attack, the #3 Passing Attack & the #4 Scoring Offense. THAT’S PRODUCTIVITY.
This season we’ve averaged HALF of that OLine being injured at various times, and we’re missing many ‘weapons’ also due to injuries. Associated with that, we now have the #22 Rushing Attack, the #15 Passing Attack & the #10 Scoring Offense. Our PRODUCTIVITY has fallen off, and we’re VERY fortunate to be sitting with a 6-4 record (thank you Baker for those FOUR 4th qtr last-minute comebacks).
IMO injuries aren’t an excuse, but LACK OF DEPTH is. All teams suffer injuries, but the really good teams have DEPTH to deal with those injuries & stay competitive. We’re beating teams with losing records despite our injuries, but we’re struggling against teams with winning records (and better DEPTH). That’s not indicative of a team with a ‘super bowl capable roster’.
November 22nd, 2025 at 10:27 am
@ Kenton
“But you gotta admit, when Calijah gets on a roll, he can tear stuff up.”
I agree 100%.
BUT….
November 22nd, 2025 at 10:30 am
Marine Buc … ‘At this point Kancey needs to play a full season or he won’t be earning his 5th year option with the Bucs’.
I agree Marine Buc, but I’m thinking that his biggest problem is that he’s being made to play out of position. He’s NOT an interior DLineman IMO, and that COULD very well be why he keeps getting hurt. Calijah’s very quick apparently, but he’s not very tall (6’0″) & he’s very light (280 lbs). He’s giving away 40-50 lbs to some of these bigger Centers, Guards & Tackles, and eventually that’s gotta wear on him. Probably already is.
At his weight, I think he’d do reasonably well further outside as a DE in a 4-3 scheme. I can picture a Bucs’ 4-3 defense (next year?) with Vea as our NT, a beastly DT next to him to solidify the middle, Kancey on 1 side as a DE, and YaYa on the other side as the other DE. Behind that I’d love to see 2-3 LBs, situationally dependent (on obvious passing downs would probably substitute a Nickel for the 3rd LB).
Do you think that Vea, a beastly DT, Kancey & YaYa could pressure the QB? Blitz selectively, but let those 4 DLinemen control their gaps & ensure containment in the Run Game, and oh ya, RUSH THE PASSER (as in ‘push their OLine back into the QB’s face’).
November 22nd, 2025 at 10:35 am
Buddha…
Preach!!!!!
You’d think we were a bottom 5 team with the expectation these fans have!
November 22nd, 2025 at 10:50 am
Defense Rules. Now we’re talking business!
November 22nd, 2025 at 10:59 am
Why would Mike Evans retire after a disappointing, injury-shortened season? That’s not his nature.
Evans is coming back.
November 22nd, 2025 at 11:01 am
@ DR
I agree.
CK has played a few snaps outside and looked pretty decent out there…
I wouldn’t mind seeing him change positions. He is just not able to stay healthy on the inside.