Mike Evans ‘plans to hit free agency’ – could Tom Brady’s old friend end leave the Buccaneers and join the Chiefs to bolster Patrick Mahomes’ receiving corps?

Mike Evans will reportedly explore his options in free agency this offseason, with several teams expected to be interested in the star receiver.

Evans, who teamed with Tom Brady on the Bucs to win Super Bowl LV in 2021, made history last season by becoming the first player to have 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 seasons.

And since he likely has one big contract left in the 30-year-old’s career, he decided to enter free agency for the first time, according to Athletic’s Diana Russini.

Russini wrote in X that Evans and the Bucs are in contract talks, but he plans to “listen to all teams” before deciding his next move.

Meanwhile, Evans’ agent, Deryk Gilmore, said Jordan Schultz from Bleacher Report “Mike wants to play with an elite quarterback in an offense that features him, and get paid like a top-tier wide receiver.” He doesn’t want to play with a rookie QB. “Winning a Super Bowl is a key priority.”

Schultz said Evans is expected to draw interest from several teams.

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, entering his seventh season, is coming off the best year of his career.

The Bucs also had a better-than-expected season after Brady’s retirement, as they reached the divisional round of the playoffs before losing to the Lions.

But as Evans weighs his options, it’s worth thinking about where the five-time Pro Bowl selection might end up.

If winning a Super Bowl is his priority, as his agent said, he would be foolish not to consider the Chiefs if there is mutual interest.

Patrick Mahomes led the team to a second straight Super Bowl victory despite, not because of, the team’s weak wide receiver corps, which committed the most drops in the NFL (44) in the regular season.

However, rookie Rashee Rice began to establish himself as a star in the passing game as the season progressed, while Travis Kelce remains a major threat at tight end.

With Spotrac projecting a $95.3 million deal over four years for Evans, and Kansas City needing to pay a lot to retain Chris Jones, it’s certainly questionable whether they would want to spend money on Evans.

Spotrac currently projects the Chiefs to be less than $13 million under the salary cap.

Among other contenders, perhaps the Ravens want to give Lamar Jackson a true No. 1 target, while perhaps the Cowboys look to create a one-two punch with CeeDee Lamb after another disappointing playoff outing.

Regardless, whoever gets Evans will get one of the best receivers in the game.