Bucs star opens up on future on eve of potential season-ending game

Tampa Bay’s veteran wide receiver Mike Evans isn’t quite ready to get into details about life after football, even as public speculation grows about whether the 2025 season will be the final chapter of his career. With the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes as tense as Hulk Hogan’s forehead heading into Week 18, Evans says his attention remains on the field rather than retirement.

At 32 years old and wrapping up his 12th season, Evans finds himself at a crossroads. He is not under contract for 2026 and has given no definitive answer on whether he plans to return to the NFL. When asked about his future this week, Evans shrugged off talk of life beyond Tampa Bay: “I just approach it how I always approach it,” Evans said, via ESPN. “It’s whatever happens, happens. I’ll focus on that when the time is right. Right now, we have to win. And I’m always giving my all and I’m always gonna go out swinging.”

Evans’ legacy in Tampa Bay is already secure. He has surpassed 13,000 receiving yards, a milestone reached only by a small group of elite pass-catchers in NFL history. Over his career, he has been one of the league’s most reliable and durable offensive weapons, earning multiple Pro Bowl nods and cementing himself as the face of the Buccaneers.

Evans: injury “a blessing in disguise”

But 2025 has not been typical for Evans. A series of injuries, including a hamstring issue and a broken collarbone, keeping him out of action for an agonisingly long period.

“I mean, when the injury happened, you hear ‘broken bone,’ you think ‘out for the season.’ And they told me I would have a chance to play at the end of the season,” Evans admitted. “So I was trying to expedite that process -- rehab extremely hard, the training staff did a great job, and I was able to come back. And that’s one thing I’ve always prided myself in. If I’m healthy enough to play, I’m going to play."

During his rehab process, Evans made sure to see the brighter side of things: “Like, I’m paid to play football, and the fans are wearing my jerseys in the stands to watch me play. So I just made a point to get back as fast as I could."

Evans admitted that being out was “kind of a blessing in disguise,” explaining that “I missed the game more than I thought I would. And I come back and I still got the love for the game. And who knows what it’ll do for me in the future?”

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