Baker Mayfield says he believes Mike Evans will play for Bucs in 2026

Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times on Jan 29, 2026

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — He hasn’t had any conversations with the Bucs’ No. 1 receiver since the season ended. The last thing he told him was not to rush into a decision.

But quarterback Baker Mayfield said this week he believes Mike Evans not only will play again in 2026, but that it will be for the Bucs.

During an appearance on “The Ronde Barber Show,” Mayfield predicted Evans won’t end his career after an injury-plagued season in which he saw his NFL record-tying streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons end due to a hamstring injury and broken clavicle, which forced him to miss nine games.

Evans, 32, can become an unrestricted free agent in March.

“Here’s the thing. I don’t have to really plea with it, because Mike’s too much of a competitor and cares too much about Tampa to end his career without 1,000 yards, without a division championship, without a playoff run,” Mayfield said. “And that, first of all, speaks to who Mike is.

“But that’s the truth. And you know, he doesn’t want to do that. And, you know, you could just kind of feel it. And listen, I don’t have any info. I told Mike, ‘This is your decision. Take your time doing it.’ But understanding who Mike is, that is my guess, that he didn’t want it to end this way.”

Mayfield also noted the hiring of former Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will give the Bucs offense a lift and help convince Evans to return to the team for 2026. Mayfield spent five games with Robinson in Los Angeles after being claimed off waivers in 2022. It was Robinson and Liam Coen who gave Mayfield a crash course in the Rams’ offense.

Mayfield said Evans is aware of how explosive the Bucs offense could be, especially if it is able to remain healthy. When Evans returned from his broken collarbone, he had six catches for a season-high 132 yards in a 29-28 loss to Atlanta on Dec. 11.

“Zac will do great things for us, and we’ll go from there,” Mayfield said. “But Mike’s got more in the tank. You could tell with the energy, the fire he had at the end of the year.”

As for Mayfield, he said he’s taking a mental and physical break from football to heal up and recharge.

“Honestly, I have to step away from it for a little bit,” he said. “Mentally, just after the season — no matter what the season, good, bad — I have to step away. Just because I’m mentally drained. It’s more like, obviously, my body goes through it and whatnot, but it’s more of a mental break for me than it is physical.

“I’ll start itching to get back and start working out way more so more than I will ‘What schemes do I have to go look at today?’ That’s the part where I’ll start working out first, and then I’ll start looking at tape. I’d rather have a conversation about schemes than actually sitting down and watching tape. Until about March for me, that’s when I start thinking, OK, ball.”