INDIANAPOLIS — As the Bucs prepare for another orbit into free agency, they are bracing for the real possibility they could lose two of their biggest stars.
Wide receiver Mike Evans has “earned the right” to weigh opportunities with other teams when the negotiating period begins on March 9, coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine. Linebacker Lavonte David is contemplating retirement, even though he believes he has more football left in him at age 36.
General manager Jason Licht said Tuesday he plans to meet with Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, during this week’s combine. But unlike in 2024, when Evans reached a two-year, $41 million extension a week before the signing period, the Bucs are preparing to possibly lose one or both players.
“We’ll see how this process plays out,” Licht said. “We’d love to have Mike back … Mike has earned the decision to see what’s out there and see what’s best for him. We’ll just see how the process plays out.
“We do have great communication with his agent. I’ve dealt with him several times. It’s been awesome. It’s always been great meetings, great phone calls where we talk a lot. Yes, hopefully, we will be (meeting). We want Mike back. Mike has meant a lot to us, and ultimately we’d like him to retire as a Buc.”
Evans, who turns 33 in August, played in only eight games last season due to a hamstring injury and broken clavicle. He caught 30 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns.
But when he returned from the collarbone injury on Dec. 11, Evans responded with his best game of the season: six catches for 132 yards in a 29-28 loss to the Falcons.
He is expected to receive interest in free agency from the Patriots, Bills, 49ers and Texans, to name a few.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) who turns 33 in August, played in only eight games last season due to a hamstring injury and broken clavicle. (Chris O’Meara/Associated Press)
The problem is the Bucs have much bigger needs on defense than the receiver position, where they are well-stocked for the future.
Chris Godwin is in the second season of a three-year, $66 million contract. If they cut or trade Godwin, he carries a dead cap value of approximately $49.9 million. The Bucs also have Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Emeka Egbuka, last year’s first-round pick from Ohio State; Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson.
Bowles said it is difficult to part with iconic players under any circumstance, much less two in the same season.
“They’ve been the faces of your organization for years now,” Bowles said. “You’ve got to have some sentimental value from that standpoint. But at the same time, it’s a business, although a harsh business. At some point, you don’t want to move on, and we’re not trying to move on, and I’m not saying we are, but the reality of it is, if they choose somebody else, you have to move on.
“(Evans) has earned the right to do this and do what’s best for him, and he knows we’d love to have him back.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David still is considering retirement, but is sounding more and more like he wants to play in 2026. (Peter Joneleit/Associated Press)
David played with a knee injury that required it to be drained every week and struggled in pass coverage. He still is considering retirement, but is sounding more and more like he wants to play in 2026. Two weeks ago, he told the “Caps Off” podcast, “I still have a lot of football left in me.”
Do the Bucs feel the same way?
“Lavonte is very close with me,” Bowles said. “Obviously, since I’ve gotten here, he’s been our green dot (play-caller), he’s been the guy to carry us, our leader and everything else. He’s definitely earned the right to see if he wants to continue playing. If he does, hopefully he’ll be here, but he’s definitely earned that right. We want him back. He knows how we feel about him.”
Both Bowles and Licht spoke about an array of topics during Tuesday’s media availability.
Why the season collapsed
Even though the Bucs got off to starts of 5-1 and 6-2, it took comebacks in the fourth quarter to produce four of those wins.
“We didn’t execute,” Bowles said. “You know, even the beginning of the season, we went 6-2, but there were some hard-fought ballgames. It’s not like we were blowing people out. We were kind of winning because we were doing the right things at the end of the ball game.
“I don’t think we did the right things in the second half (of the season) at the end of all games, whether it was special teams, defense or offense from a coaching standpoint and from a playing standpoint. We’ve got to get better at that.”
Licht said everyone was to blame for the collapse, which saw the Bucs lose seven of their final nine games to finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.
“It was tough for all of us,” he said. “It was tough for any of us to look at all the players and not feel the way we felt. Coaches as well, the entire organization. It was a painful experience to have our season slip away like that. But trust me, we all own it, and we’re doing everything we can with our plans here moving forward to try and get back on track, and I’m confident we will.”
Licht said he continues to believe in Bowles.
“There’s a lot of people frustrated with the way the season went. Todd is probably No. 1, and it means a lot to him,” Licht said. “… I haven’t lost any faith in Todd. Nobody in the building has, either. I love working with Todd, and I think he’s the perfect person for this right now in this situation.”
Why Bucs parted ways with assistants
Bowles said at the end of the season he had “earned” the right to return after winning three straight NFC South titles as head coach. But he didn’t afford that same courtesy to all of his assistants. Five were fired, and two retired.
“Knowing we had the season that we had, you need to make changes, starting with things we’ve got to do from the coaching staff to the players, and we had a lot of success with those guys over the years,” Bowles said. “Love them to death. It was one of the hardest things we had to do, but we had to move forward, and as a head coach, it’s up to you to make the right decisions.
The Bucs promoted cornerbacks coach Rashad Johnson and safeties coach Tim Atkins, who were already on the staff. Bowles said he believes they will bring some energy and new ideas.
“I’ve been grooming those guys for quite some time,” Bowles said. “They’ve been ready probably a year or two ago. But having the guys in front of them and the older guys with experience, you kind of go with experience. It’s their time now. They get time to show what they can do, and I think it’s really going to help us.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) is entering the final season of a three-year, $100 million contract. (Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press)
Mayfield needs to curb injuries, INTs
Mayfield is entering the final season of a three-year, $100 million contract, and Bowles said they are happy with his play. But he said the QB needs to make better decisions and protect himself from injuries, which have worn him down.
“I think he is who he is,” Bowles said. ”He’s got to be smarter than that, especially in the second half of the season when you get guys down. So, he’s got to be a little smarter taking care of his body so we can have the availability there. But being with us three years now, we know who he is. We trust him completely, and we have full confidence in him.
“Baker can play. We’ve had him for three years now. We’ve gotten to know him. He’s the same guy we’ve known for three years. He’s won some great games for us. We haven’t finished, especially this past year, the way we wanted to. And there’s some interceptions he’d like to have back, but he knows that. But we’re very confident in Baker and looking forward to him being better this year.”
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