Back in 2024, wide receiver Mike Evans came close to becoming a free agent before he returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year deal. Had he hit the open market, the Jacksonville Jaguars would've been among the many teams that made a bid for his services.
Fast forward to 2026, and Evan is scheduled to be a free agent. This time, though, the Jags may not be interested in him this time around, but only because they're already stacked at receiver. That said, the former Texas Tech A&M Aggie could still land in the AFC South, albeit with a bitter rival.
The Texans were named a free-agent destination for Mike Evans
Greg Auman of Fox Sports took a look at potential landing spots for the top 100 free agents. He argues that Mike Evans is trending toward finishing his career with the Bucs, but the Houston Texans could emerge as a legitimate landing spot because of their proximity to Galvenston his hometown.
"Does he come back and try to help the Bucs to one more playoff berth after a down 2025? Or if the outside offers are compelling enough, does he finish his career elsewhere?" Auman wrote. "He made $20.5 million a year on his last deal, but Spotrac only has him projected to $13 million for 2026. IT's likely he finishes his career with the Bucs, but leave open the slim chance he goes somewhere like Houston, close to his hometown of Galveston, with a strong contender he could help."
Evans posted 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before suffering a collarbone injury that limited him to eight games. According to his agent, the 2015 first-round pick was in the best shape of his career before getting hurt and still has plenty of gas in the tank.
As Auman noted, retiring is a possibility, but Evan will have no shortage of suitors if he wants to hang up the cleats. In fact, the Texans aren't the only team that's popped up as a potential landing spot. In a different article, Jacob Infante identifies the Tennessee Titans as a free-agent destination for the Galveston, Texas native, among other clubs.
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The Jaguars need to be ready in case they face Mike Evans
Christian Kirk is scheduled to hit the open market. If he leaves, the Houston Texans will need to replace him. Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Tank Dell are in the mix, but the Texans will surely want to give C.J. Stroud the best possible arsenal. Evans would most definitely round out the Houston wide receiver corps, which would be bad news for the Jaguars.
As Josh Allen demonstrated in the playoffs last year, Jacksonville struggled to contain high-octane power offenses. Granted, C.J. Stroud is coming off an unremarkable 2025 and isn't as accomplished as his Buffalo Bills counterpart. Having said that, adding a receiver of Evan's caliber would most definitely take some pressure off his shoulders.
Of course, it's entirely possible that Evans will return to the Bucs, but the Jags shouldn't take the threat of him landing with an AFC South rival lightly. If anything, it should incentivize them to bolster the pass rush and their secondary, their two most glaring weaknesses this offseason.
The Jaguars are one of the hottest teams in the NFL following their impressive turnaround in 2025. However, there's a reason they came up short. If they want to return to the playoffs and make a deep push, they'd better make the upgrades required to face off against Mike Evans or any of the top receivers in the league.