Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield drops huge Mike Evans career update

The future of Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans has been a hot topic over the past 24 hours, with some thinking the veteran could move on.

Others think that won't happen, with Evans a Buccaneer through and through, but he is a free agent, and how he feels about Tampa Bay's chances in 2026 could have some weight in his decision.

But if you ask Baker Mayfield, he seems pretty confident that Evans won't retire and that he'll return in 2026.

What makes Mayfield so confident? A guest on the Ronde Barber Show, Mayfield revealed all.

“I don't have any info,” Mayfield said.” I told Mike, this is your decision, take your time doing it. But understanding who Mike is, that is my guess, that he didn't want it to end this way. He knows the potential that if we're able to stay a little bit more healthy, Zac [Robinson] will do great things for us, and we'll go from there.

"But Mike's got more in the tank. You could tell with the energy, the fire he had at the end of the year.”

More: Buccaneers reporter details Mike Evans future timeline

Evans primed to return?

Reading between the lines of Baker's comments, it is clear that, physically, at least, Evans has the juice to return, but the mental aspect is unknown.

Can he envision himself going through another full offseason of OTAs, training camp, and then hopefully a 17-game regular season, plus playoffs?

That is what Evans has to ask himself because there is no doubt he can still play at a high level; the question is whether he wants to put himself through that again.

Baker seems bullish on No. 13 returning for another year in Tampa Bay, but time will tell if this franchise great plays on, or if he has other plans.

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