Mike Evans has only ever played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his accomplished NFL career. But the star wide receiver is on track to test 2024 free agency after failing to strike a contract extension ahead of a key deadline Monday.
While Evans could still land a new deal in Tampa Bay ahead of March 11, when other clubs are permitted to begin negotiating with free agents, the Buccaneers had an added incentive to re-sign the Pro Bowler by this point; they would've saved more than $7 million against their 2024 salary cap by reaching an extension as of Monday afternoon.
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If Tampa Bay now allows him to reach the open market, here are five logical suitors for the pass-catcher:
| They reached the AFC title game with their current crop of wideouts, and Nelson Agholor has since re-signed to the group. But who says you can't make a luxury move? Evans enjoyed a career year under current Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken back in 2018, when he secured a $82.5 million extension with Tampa Bay. And his big red-zone presence would make for a nice complement to the shiftier moves of rookie Zay Flowers. | |
| Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd make one of the NFL's top WR trios, but the latter two are both scheduled to hit free agency, and Higgins in particular could price himself out of Cincinnati with Chase due for a massive extension of his own. Even so, the Bengals figure to remain in win-now mode, making Evans a potential plug-and-play star for Joe Burrow and Co. The team has close to $60M in projected salary cap space. | |
| The Texans' playoff loss to Baltimore proved rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud could use more help. In truth, their O-line warrants more attention. But Evans is the kind of alpha No. 1 who could accelerate Stroud's already-impressive growth, while taking pressure off younger weapons like Nico Collins and Tank Dell. With close to $70M in cap space, money shouldn't be an issue. As a bonus, Evans was born and raised in Texas, making this a potential homecoming. | |
| Indy has its own WR to pay in Michael Pittman Jr., a scheduled free agent, but head coach Shane Steichen knows the value of adding an even more accomplished pass outlet, enjoying A.J. Brown's impact on the Eagles' offense as their OC in 2022. The Colts overachieved this year and should have QB Anthony Richardson back in 2024, making them a sleeper contender. They've got close to $63M available for the offseason. | |
| Rookie Rashee Rice emerged as an explosive downfield target for Patrick Mahomes late in the Chiefs' latest Super Bowl run, but for much of 2023, the team struggled to field a reliable WR corps, occasionally appearing to miss the electrifying pop of past stars like Tyreek Hill. With Travis Kelce aging and the Super Bowl window always open in K.C., a proven No. 1 like Evans would be a seamless fit. Evans, meanwhile, would get a chance to go out with a perennial contender. | |