Overview
- ESPN reports an internal sentiment in Tampa Bay that Evans deserves to reach the open market rather than be retained via the franchise tag.
- Tagging the veteran wideout would cost roughly $27–28.8 million for 2026 and would hit the cap immediately.
- Agents Deryk Gilmore and Darren Jones plan to meet team officials in the coming weeks to gauge Tampa Bay’s offer.
- Teams may begin legal negotiations with Evans on March 9, with free agency officially opening March 11.
- Evans, the franchise’s career leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, was limited to eight games in 2025 by a fractured clavicle and posted career lows of 30 catches for 368 yards, yet his size and contested-catch skill set still draws interest.