Steelers Should Ignore Buccaneers WR News

Though the Bucs may still opt to bring back their best receiver in franchise history, the Steelers are among the many teams with a need at the position who could also throw their hat into the ring and convince the six-time Pro Bowler to finish out his career elsewhere.

Does Evans Have Enough Left in the Tank?

With the start of the new league year just three weeks away, Pittsburgh has a number of different roster holes it will have to fill either via free agency, trade or the 2026 NFL Draft.

As has been the case over the last handful of years, receiver stands out as one of the Steelers' weaker position groups at the moment.

Outside of DK Metcalf, Ben Skowronek and Roman Wilson are the only other two players at the position on Pittsburgh's roster who aren't also signed to reserve/futures deals.

At the very least, the Steelers have to acquire a high-level No. 2 option to pair with Metcalf, or else they run the risk of yet again heading into the regular season without an adequate amount of talent at receiver.

Evans is intriguing just based on his name alone, as the 32-year-old began his career with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns, tying Jerry Rice for the overall record in that regard.

He recorded 368 yards and three touchdowns in 2025 while being limited to eight games as a result of hamstring and collarbone injuries to go alongside a concussion, however, so there are some concerns about how he'll hold up moving forward.

Evans is still a useful player with a big frame at 6-foot-5 who can win jump balls while posing a massive threat in the red zone, though his ability to separate has declined as he's aged.

Should Steelers Pursue Evans?

Pittsburgh could do a lot worse than signing Evans to answer their everlasting WR2 questions, but there's also more enticing options on the table.

If the Steelers re-sign Aaron Rodgers and Cameron Heyward returns in Mike McCarthy's first year as the team's head coach, than perhaps the organization will look at the 2026 campaign as one final run for some members of its core. In that case, Evans could fit as a star and a proven veteran who still has enough juice left in the tank to produce at a relatively high level for another season or two.

From a more overarching perspective, though, Pittsburgh should be looking to get younger and bring in a receiver who doesn't have the same durability or aging concerns that Evans does, with someone like Romeo Doubs profiling as a more logical target in free agency.

Furthermore, the Steelers would be better off selecting a receiver early in the NFL Draft and filling out other areas of their roster through the open market rather than handing Evans a huge payday at this stage of his career.