Two years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were reportedly interested in signing wide receiver Mike Evans if he became a free agent. However, they had to scrap the plan when he returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a two-year deal. Fast forward to 2026, and it would make sense for the Jags to revisit the idea of pursuing the six-time Pro Bowl nod.
Granted, wide receiver isn't a pressing need for Jacksonville due to the presence of Jakobi Meyers, Travis Hunter, and Parker Washington. That said, the prospect of Evans playing for head coach Liam Coen, his offensive coordinator in 2024, may be intriguing enough not to discard a potential reunion.
The Jaguars could target Mike Evans in 2026 if he leaves the Buccaneers
Back in 2024, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Jags were among the teams interested in making a run for Mike Evans before he signed a two-year extension worth $56 million with the Bucs.
The same year Evans signed his new deal, Tampa Bay hired Liam Coen as their offensive coordinator. He went on to haul in 74 receptions for 1,004 yards with 11 touchdowns. Last season, though, a broken collarbone forced him to miss nine games. It was the most serious injury the former Texas A&M Aggie had suffered in his NFL career.
Prior to his injury-marred campaign, Evans had put together 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. While his agent says he still has plenty of gas left in the tank, it's uncertain, from an outside perspective, if the Bucs plan to re-sign him. But if he does walk in free agency, the Jags must do due diligence.
Tim Patrick notwithstanding, the Jags don't have a receiver with the size to win 50/50 balls. Similarly, they're lacking a red-zone threat. Evans would check off both boxes.
Now, Evans isn't the receiver he was two years ago, or even back in his prime. But before getting hurt, he hadn't shown signs of losing a step yet, so he could definitely contribute in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars would face a few roadblocks to sign Mike Evans
The Jaguars have bigger needs than wide receiver, and they're dealing with a cap crunch. That would make it challenging to go after Mike Evans in free agency. Having said that, Brian Thomas Jr. has been the subject of trade chatter, and if he's dealt, Jacksonville would need to replenish Trevor Lawrence's arsenal.
Several dominoes would have to fall in place, and the Jags would need to free up enough space to pursue Evans, but it wouldn't be impossible. After all, he'll have no shortage of suitors if he's available in the open market despite the fact that he's coming off a serious injury. And most of them won't have to meet his salary demands.
As of this writing, Pro Football Focus has a $18 million market valuation for Evans if he becomes a free agent. That would exceed the Jags' current spending budget (they're $13.9 million over the cap). Of course, it would all come to a halt the moment he chose to return to the Buccaneers, which is a strong possibility when you take into account that head coach Todd Bowles is entering a make-or-break year. He'll need to have as much talent as possible if he wants to keep his job.
It's also worth noting that the regime that set its sights on Evans back in 2024 (Trent Baalke, Doug Pederson) is no longer in place, so it's hard to tell if Coen and general manager Trent Baalke would be interested in making a run for him.
It may be a long shot, but Mike Evans is the kind of game-altering talent who could take the Jaguars' high-octane offense to new heights.