There’s a world of opportunity ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers as they hope to rectify the wide receiver position this offseason. Obviously, this year’s draft class has extreme talent at the position, and Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo expects Pittsburgh to take multiple receivers with its 12-pick stockpile this April. However, even if that’s the plan, Fittipaldo would still like the Steelers to sign Mike Evans in free agency as well.
“One WR who makes sense is Mike Evans. He’s an older player and would not command a huge contract. They’re going to draft at least one and maybe two receivers in this draft. They would need a good mentor who can show them the NFL ropes. DK Metcalf is a good teammate, but he doesn’t strike me as the mentor type,” Fittipaldo wrote Tuesday in his chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Evans is well-known for his insane stretch of 1,000-yard seasons. He hit that number in 11 of his first 12 seasons in the league. But he didn’t reach that threshold last year, recording less than 400 receiving yards in eight games. Evans is coming off a season plagued by hamstring issues and is 32 years old. Tampa Bay may be entering the end of their window of contention, so many have speculated on a possible retirement looming for the veteran.
However, it’s been reported that Mike Evans wants to play in 2026. More notably, he will explore his options in free agency. Could the Steelers be one of those options?
They shouldn’t hope Evans can fix the receiving corps by himself. Pittsburgh tried the veteran route last year. While neither of those options had the same resume as Evans, it clearly didn’t work. Either way, the Steelers must infuse some youth into their roster. That will likely happen within the first two days of the draft.
However, even if multiple picks are going to be spent at the position, it does make sense to bring Evans in. He’s up there in age, but his only down year came during a season in which he struggled with injuries. He’d be a solid depth addition, a low-risk, high-reward receiver at the right price.
There’s also the mentorship aspect that Fittipaldo mentions. There’s a plethora of things that Evans can teach a young receiver. Any rookie would love to share a room with him and DK Metcalf. And the latter did provide some veteran leadership last year.
Even if the Steelers target receivers early and often in the draft, the position could be overhauled even more than that. He might not be the same receiver he was during his prime, but Mike Evans is certainly worth considering.