2 unexpected teams emerge to try and steal Mike Evans away from Bucs in free agency

After 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Evans will officially be testing the free agency market when the legal tampering period begins Monday at noon. 

There are a handful of teams who have been connected to Evans early in the process, headlined by the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots. 

But on the eve of free agency, two new teams have emerged as interested suitors for Evans. 

Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns expected to target Mike Evans in free agency 

CBS Sports’ NFL insider Jonathan Jones named the Commanders as a team to watch if Evans ultimately decides to leave the Buccaneers.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reiterated that sentiment, calling the Commanders a sleeper team in the Evans sweepstakes. 

Washington presents an interesting opportunity for Evans. He’d get to play with one of the league’s best up-and-coming young quarterbacks in Jayden Daniels, and line up across from Terry McLaurin, who recorded five straight 1,000 yard seasons from 2020-2024.

Evans is also expected to receive interest from the Cleveland Browns, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

On the surface, the Browns don’t make a lot of sense for Evans at this stage of his career. They are coming off a 5-12 season in 2025, and it’s unclear who their starting quarterback will be when the season starts. But there is one underrated connection tying Evans to Cleveland, though it’s doubtful that would be enough to convince him to sign there. 

Newly hired Browns head coach Todd Monken served as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator from 2016-2018. He also doubled as Evans’ wide receiver coach in 2016 and 2017.

In Monken’s first season as the Buccaneers’ play caller, Evans received 173 targets, by far the most of his career. His 96 receptions were a career high and his 1,321 receiving yards were the second-highest of his career. He also caught 12 touchdowns.

Monken understood the importance of running the offense through his No. 1 wide receiver and Evans had one of the best seasons of his career under his play calling. If Evans is serious about choosing a team where he’ll receive high volume touches as it’s being reported, there may be no better choice than the Browns. 

Still, it’s almost impossible to imagine Evans leaving the 12-year legacy he’s built in Tampa Bay to finish his career with an organization like Cleveland. There will be much better options for Evans on the open market that would give him a chance to compete for a Super Bowl at the end of his career. 

There’s also still hope that Evans returns to Tampa Bay, despite all of the noise surrounding a possible departure. Per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, no matter what happens in free agency, the Buccaneers will be given the opportunity to match any competing offers before Evans makes any final decisions. The Buccaneers have been reported to be heavily pursuing re-signing him. 

That sure sounds like two parties that remain interested in coming to an agreement, and Evans still has a real opportunity to finish his career in red and pewter.