Mike Evans' free agent curiosity is a potentially troubling development this offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs. Per FOX Sports' Greg Auman, "Mike Evans’ longtime agent, Deryk Gilmore, confirms he will return for a 13th NFL season. That could be in Tampa again, but he’ll open it up and look at his options in free agency."
More than likely, if Evans moves on from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it'll be to a Chiefs rival in the AFC that Kansas City could play in the postseason.
One potential landing spot is the Buffalo Bills. With Josh Allen needing an elite wideout he can lean on, Evans makes sense for Buffalo. Allen needs a big-play threat who can win on 50/50 balls and turn deep tosses into touchdowns. Evans, when healthy, is still one of the best at doing that.
The Baltimore Ravens can also use a receiver, though more specifically a Zay Flowers decoy rather than a WR1. With John Harbaugh out of the picture and Declan Doyle now leading the charge on Lamar Jackson's development, it's clear Baltimore will prioritize maximizing his talents by investing in weapons for their former three-time MVP.
A darkhorse to land Evans could be the Houston Texans, who were initially involved in C.J. Stroud trade rumors, but now look ready to pivot and give the ex-Ohio State Buckeyes signal-caller a better chance of actually doing something in the playoffs.
Then, there's the worst-case scenario: the Denver Broncos, who were a Bo Nix injury away from likely taking their rightful place in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks instead of the New England Patriots. Jarrett Stidham almost got the job done, and he might've if he had someone who could cover for his shaky accuracy at times, like Evans. Denver will be a player in the free agent market, giving Kansas City the chance to play Evans twice a season.
Chiefs Will See Several Rivals Get Better in 2026
While the Chiefs' rivals won't have an easy trip to the Kingdom this coming campaign, as they did for much of the 2025 season, Kansas City will also see increased competition in the AFC.
The Las Vegas Raiders may become an immediate threat if Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza acclimates to the NFL, as he acclimated to Big Ten play with the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers. The Los Angeles Chargers could have a more intriguing offense with Mike McDaniel running the show. Denver has no reason to get worse with Nix back. The AFC West will be a challenge, plain and simple.
If the Bills or Ravens could add Evans, while making big improvements in other areas, the Chiefs' entire path back to the Super Bowl could be filled with landmines.