After initial reports indicated that the veteran receiver would test the open market for the first time in his career, the Buccaneers rebounded with an offer to keep Mike Evans in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future. At this point, Evans appears to be QB-proof even with Baker Mayfield drastically improving his play over the course of the year in 2023. If Mayfield can parlay that success from last year’s divisional round run into another strong season at the helm for the Bucs (which appears to be the way things are trending), Evans could reprise his role as the go-to-guy in Tampa Bay’s offense.
Evans led the team in target share and the league in touchdowns last season even after a rough start to the season, and barring a high-profile addition through free agency or the draft, he’s in line to dominate once again. While his touchdown numbers in 2023 are statistically much more likely to regress this upcoming season than improve, Evans will be a threat for double-digit scores as long as he can stay healthy.