Mike Evans might not be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2026.
The thought of Evans playing with another team is enough to drive a Bucs fan crazy, but he is a free agent, and his agent, Deryk Gilmore, made it clear that the Bucs are not a shoo-in to keep him.
Speculation about Evans' future has been going on all offseason, and there have been a number of predictions that have Evans leaving Tampa.
Some of them, such as joining up with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, make sense.
But one pitch ESPN's Bill Barnwell tossed out is a headscratcher.
Barnwell has Evans signing with -- wait for it ... the Las Vegas Raiders.
"It’s tough to imagine Evans wearing any other jersey, and when dealing with franchise icons, ownership has a habit of getting involved to keep a player around," Barnwell wrote in a column Monday. "If Evans does leave, though, one logical landing spot would be Las Vegas, where former Bucs executive John Spytek is the general manager, and presumptive first pick Fernando Mendoza needs playmakers."
It is true that Indiana's Heisman Trophy/national championship-winning golden boy, Fernando Mendoza, is virtually a lock to go to the Raiders at No. 1, and considering the Raiders were the worst team in the league last season, it's probably fair to say Mendoza could use some playmakers.
But as far as what would be in it for Evans should he go to Las Vegas, Barnwell didn't note much, because there isn't much.
Barnwell noted that Raiders GM John Spytek worked in Tampa for almost a decade, where he spent his last two seasons as assistant GM before moving to Las Vegas.
Aside from that, there isn't a notable connection that would make anybody stop and think, "Hey, this might sway Evans." If reuniting with former coaches or executives is that important to Evans, he has better options than joining the Raiders.
For instance, Evans has been linked to both the Carolina Panthers, headed by coach Dave Canales, who was Evans' offensive coordinator in Tampa in 2023, and the Cleveland Browns, where former Tampa OC Todd Monken is now the boss.
Now, is possibly working with Mendoza tempting? Sure.
But as Barnwell noted, the Raiders need more help than just Evans to get anywhere close to a Super Bowl, and although Evans has already crossed that goal off his list, one would think he'd want to win another one before he retires.
Barnwell also acknowledged it's hard to see Tampa Bay letting Evans walk. When an elite player puts in 12 seasons for one team, that team goes out of their way to keep him there forever, and when that player has accomplished what Evans has (11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, two All-Pros, a Super Bowl ring), keeping him in the fold is going to be a priority.
It's fair to wonder if Tampa Bay is the best place for Evans to win another Super Bowl. Although the team has won four NFC South titles since winning its last Super Bowl in February 2021, Tampa hasn't made a conference championship game since, and this past year, the Bucs had a collapse that has people wondering if they're closer to rebuilding than chasing a ring.
But even if the Bucs are rebuilding, they're closer to the promised land than the Raiders are.
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