Jason Licht Talks Players Testing The Free Agent Market
February 25th, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht
So why do the Bucs seem content to let Mike Evans test the free agent market before re-signing him?
That’s not entirely clear, and the Bucs still have use of the franchise tag, if desired, for another week.
Publicly, Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht and Todd Bowles said yesterday that Evans has earned the right to make a decision on his future and approach it his way, even if that means being courted by other teams. The Bucs, they said, will honor Evans wishes while they work to put an offer on the table Evans will accept.
Speaking to Mike Florio on the PFT Live set at the NFL Scouting Combine yesterday, Licht was asked about whether at some point in negotiating with a pending free agent it’s best to enthusiastically tell the player to check out his options and hope they’ll come back to the Bucs and accept the team’s offer.
“They’re all individual cases, but in some cases, yeah. You want the player to feel good about the contract you give him,” Licht said.
“In some cases, you want to make sure that they knew that this is what their market was. And [with that approach you] tend to sometimes get a happier player, which usually ends up meaning in more prodcution and better play.”
Perhaps this is what’s happening with the Bucs and Mike Evans. Joe’s takeaway after talking directly with Licht and Bowles yesterday is that they were trying hard not to offend Evans and to not show any confidence in Evans’ return — no matter how confident in Evans’ return they may be. Anyway they can, Joe believes, the Bucs want to respect Evans’ interest in exploring all options.
As Licht told Florio, sometimes that results in a “happier” returning player.
Special Guest Todd Bowles! Plus Vibes & Reaction From The NFL Scouting Combine, Rival Coach Gives A Bucs Impression, And More