Buccaneers' Mike Evans given $44 million contract comparison ahead of free agency, retirement decision

Billy Heyen

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Buccaneers' Mike Evans given $44 million contract comparison ahead of free agency, retirement decision image

Earlier this season, Mike Evans was discussed as a possible retirement candidate.

That hasn't been brought up lately for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend, though, so it seems he may instead just be heading toward free agency.

His contract ended with this injury-plagued, disappointing season that saw his 1,000-yard streak come to an end. Now, there are plenty of questions to be answered.

Will Evans stay healthy? Is he still good when on the field?

The second part seems to be a yes.

"On the field, Evans is still producing at a high level," ESPN's Bill Barnwell writes. "His 2.3 yards per route run ranked 14th among all wideouts over the past two seasons."

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It'll be about figuring out what kind of contract makes sense, and whether it's with Tampa Bay or a different team.

A logical comparison point may be Davante Adams.

"The player Evans' camp will try to link the star wideout to is Davante Adams, who hit free agency after a frustrating age-32 season and landed a two-year, $44 million contract with the Rams, including $26 million guaranteed at signing," Barnwell writes. "Adams finished with 789 receiving yards in 14 games, but he formed a connection with Matthew Stafford and scored 14 touchdowns in his first year with Los Angeles."

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Adams has bounced around in the latter stages of his career. That's the one other aspect to Evans that is uncertain.

He's spent his entire NFL tenure with the Bucs. Would he leave now?

"Evans is a franchise legend, though, and the rules can be different when those types of players are involved," Barnwell writes. "It would surprising if he played somewhere else in 2026."

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