The legal tampering period for NFL free agency is set to open on Monday at noon ET and one of the top names on the market is future Hall of Fame WR, Mike Evans. The veteran is set to turn 33 years old before the start of the 2026 NFL season. If the veteran does decide not to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 13th season, what would be the best fit for Evans?
Matt Harmon was joined by Fantasy Life’s Ian Hartitz to talk optimal landing spots for Evans in free agency on the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast.
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Hartitz starts the segment out by drawing his 49ers card. Ian rattles off the criteria that Evans told reporters in terms of what he’s looking for in a potential new team, the first being a quarterback he believes in. Brock Purdy, check. A team that can compete for the Super Bowl. Check. A top-shelf OC in Kyle Shanahan. Check. And the promise of high-volume touches. The final check.
Evans is coming off his worst NFL season thanks to a broken collarbone that limited him to just eight games in 2025. As a result, he finished with just 30 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to that, he had a streak of reaching 1,000 receiving yards in all 12 of his NFL seasons.
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Hartitz also throws the New England Patriots out there after the team released veteran WR Stefon Diggs this week. He also wouldn’t hate to see Evans land on Harmon’s best fit for the wide receiver: the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Harmon believes the Chiefs need a “non-Mickey Mouse” wide receiver and Evans fits that mold as a consummate professional. Along with that professionalism, he brings size and route-running ability to a K.C. room that lacks all those things.
The Chiefs could start the 2026 season without QB Patrick Mahomes. WR Rashee Rice continues to have off-the-field issues and TE Travis Kelce will either retire or return, though he’s not the same elite receiving option he was before. Xavier Worthy hasn’t proven he can be more than a secondary option. So, Evans could be the route Kansas City takes to filling that void at receiver this offseason.
