Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Mike Evans hasn’t slowed down yet. The 32-year-old wideout is coming off yet another season with over 1,000 yards with 11 touchdowns to boot, and he started off his 12th year in the NFL with 51 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
Despite that, though, Evans is at the age where retirement becomes a thought, and he hasn’t been shy about acknowledging that he’s getting close to the end of the line. He’s recently said that he’ll likely be retired by the time the Olympics come to town in 2028, but a new quote from the Bucs star shortly before the team takes on the Houston Texans in Week 2 might have pushed that timetable up a lot sooner.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) reacts after a play against the Atlanta Falcons / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Evans spoke to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer for a story about his childhood as he returns to Houston (the closest NFL city to his hometown of Galveston, Texas) for what should be the last time in his NFL career, even if he does play for a few more years. At the very end, Evans had an interesting quote about 2025, and when asked if this is the year he is set to retire, his answer was vague.
“I plan on having one of my best seasons,” Evans told The Athletic. “And if I retire after this year, I don’t think it’ll be a shock to people… I’m close to the end, that’s all I’ll say.”
Buccaneers fans have known that Evans has been hitting the event horizon on his NFL career for a bit now, but many would certainly be shocked if he did call it quits after 2025. A 1,000-yard season this year would break Jerry Rice’s record for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, but he would need to net three more of them to tie Rice’s overall record of 14 and then a fourth to beat that record. Evans would be around 35 years old with the opportunity to tie Rice’s overall record, and based on recent statements, it doesn’t seem like he intends to play football for that long.
Certain things could definitely change Evans’ opinion — a Super Bowl victory or appearance would lend well to retirement, while another year below expectations could spur on the will for another season or two. He joins fellow Bucs legend Lavonte David as a player who appears to be taking retirement year by year, and it should also be noted that Evans’ contract is up at the end of this season — a contract that he publicly stated during his press conference at the time would make him a “Buc for life.”
Things can change on this front, and it’s impossible to tell exactly what Evans is thinking in regard to the future. For now, though, he’s probably thinking about showing out in front of his home crowd at 7 p.m. EST vs. the Texans on Monday Night Football.
