Will franchise icon Mike Evans return? Discover which Buccaneers offensive free agents are staying, going, or hanging in limbo.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have 17 unrestricted free agents, with nine on offense and eight on defense.
The headliner on the offensive side is Mike Evans, the greatest receiver in franchise history.
Evans, who will be 33 by Week 1, is confirmed to be playing somewhere in 2026.
But the question for him and 17 of his 2025 teammates is: Will that be in Tampa, or will it be somewhere else?
Here's a breakdown of Tampa's nine offensive free agents, with the categories being: Who is likely to stay, who is likely to go and who knows?
Let's start with the latter.
Who knows?
Teddy Bridgewater
It makes sense for the Bucs to keep "ready Teddy" around. He's 33, which isn't young but isn't old, either, and still had enough left in the tank to beat out Kyle Trask for the QB2 job this past training camp. The Bucs aren't going to want to go into 2026 with unproven Connor Bazelak as their top option should Baker Mayfield go down, and of all the backup QB free agents available-- Jimmy Garoppolo, Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett-- Bridgewater is better than most, and if he isn't better, he's much cheaper than Kirk Cousins would be.
But for Tampa to have the option to keep Bridgewater, he has to want to play, and considering he's already retired once, it's never a guarantee. So it's hard to put this anywhere else but the "who knows" category until Bridgewater decides if he wants to play or not.
Likely to stay
Mike Evans
Yes, the Bucs have other, younger options at receiver and, yes, the Bucs have more pressing needs to address, especially on defense. But this is Mike Evans. As long as the greatest receiver in Bucs history can still help the team-- and, judging by the fact that he had more than 1,000 yards receiving in his last full season (2024), he can-- it's hard to see Tampa not prioritizing him.
When Chris Godwin, another veteran receiver, was coming off a catastrophic ankle injury in 2024, the Bucs signed him to a long-term extension. It's just the way they do things.
Evans playing somewhere else is something people won't believe until they see.
Cade Otton
This one will be tricky. Otton's market value per Sportrac is $23.7 million over three seasons, and with the Bucs presumably committing money to keep Evans and needing to spend it on a defense that finished in the bottom half, it will be hard to keep Otton.
But the Bucs' chances of finding a better tight end on the market for a cheaper figure are slim, and with pass-catching targets galore, the Bucs probably won't be feeling compelled enough to take a tight end in a round where they could find a guy good enough to contribute right away.
This, GM Jason Licht's track record of locking up homegrown talent, makes Otton a decent bet to stay in Tampa.
Ko Kieft
He's a tight end who hasn't caught a pass since 2023, but he can block, plays well on special teams, and, coming off a season-ending injury, can be signed for cheap. There's little downside to the Bucs keeping Kieft around.
Likely to go
Dan Feeney, Charlie Heck, Michael Jordan
Of 81 guards, Pro Football Focus rated Feeney 62nd and Jordan 74th.
Of 89 tackles, PFF rated Heck 86th, and his struggles even earned the scorn of Bucs legend Ronde Barber.
PFF grades aren't gospel, but the Bucs' offensive line clearly reeled from the losses of Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedke and Cody Mauch at various points during the season, so it's easy to see the Bucs revamping their offensive line depth through free agent options or late in the draft.
Sterling Shepard
With Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson and quite possibly Evans back in the fold, there isn't room for Shepard. Shepard's market value is $3.13 million over one year per Sportrac, and the Bucs could use that money elsewhere.
Rachaad White
White has had a decent career in Tampa, highlighted by 2023, when he ran for almost 1,000 yards. But since he's already written what was basically a farewell address, it's probably safe to put him in the "likely to go" category."
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