In some cases, doors close completely. In others, they creak slightly open. On January 5, Todd Bowles created enough space to allow the Bay Area to see inside. The Buccaneers’ head coach left one door slightly ajar. After the Buccaneers’ regular-season finale, the head coach addressed reporters. When Bowles spoke, he used the same gravelly voice that the media has grown accustomed to hearing. However, his words were heavier than usual.
As with every year, the end of the season brings up many questions. For this year, the end of the season brought a choose-your-own-adventure book. Two of the Buccaneers’ cornerstone players, Mike Evans and Lavonte David, hold the pens. While the media is interested in what will happen next, the interest is also about how we got to this specific threshold, at this specific moment, with these specific gladiators.
Todd Bowles’ Waiting Game
Bowles cleared his stance during the post-game press conference after the Buccaneers’ 50th Anniversary Season. “Both had long talks today individually, separately, and we had our private conversations, and I think they’ve earned that right to make that decision when the time comes,” he said regarding Mike Evans and Lavonte David. The two mainstays of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ identity.
Each player had separate, one-on-one, legendary-to-legendary conversations. But Bowles removed himself completely from the decision-making process. “They’re both heart and soul in the Buccaneers, and it’s just a matter of once they get over the pain and the wound and see how they feel and think clearly, we’ll kind of go from there,” Bowles added.
For reference, Mike Evans limped throughout the 2025 season like a boxer well past his prime. He played eight games, catching 30 passes for 368 yards. His October was ruined when a broken collarbone in Detroit forced him out of play. His November was ruined when hamstring injuries limited him to practice. For the first time in his 12-year career as a receiver, Evans failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards.
“Maybe a month or two,” Evans told ESPN’s Jenna Laine when asked about his expected recovery timeline. Meanwhile, Lavonte David played all 17 games of the 2025 season at 35 years old. That gives you Ironman status. David equaled the franchise tackle record set by Derrick Brooks (1,716). David’s final game was a six-tackle performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18. Each of those six tackles represented 14 years of his career.
A Buccaneers Future Without Evans and/or David
David told reporters he’d “pray on it” and talk to his family. He added, “And whenever that moment or that decision comes, I’m going to be straightforward about it and shoot you straight about it, but right now I have no idea.” But it seems as if the finish line may finally be within view. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers lost six consecutive games and fell from 6-2 to 7-9.
The losses were the result of numerous injuries to the Buccaneers’ roster. They suffered from offensive droughts. Bowles’ defensive front pressured opposing quarterbacks like a leaky faucet. Each week brought additional self-inflicted wounds. This was not the way anyone envisioned the season unfolding in September. However, Jalen McMillan emerged from the wreckage.
The second-year wideout recovered from a serious neck injury. McMillan caught a career-high 114 yards from quarterback J.J. McCarthy against the Dolphins in Week 16. Seven receptions demonstrated the potential of a bright future. McMillan credits Evans for helping him develop a sense of his worth as a receiver. Bowles now must decide if McMillan’s breakout was a fleeting illusion or a beacon of light guiding the Buccaneers’ offense into the future.
GM Jason Licht has a daunting task ahead of him. The Buccaneers are scheduled to select 15th overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are several possible replacements for David at outside linebacker, including Sonny Styles from Ohio State and Aiden Fisher from Indiana. The Buccaneers need pass-rushers, cornerbacks, and an entirely new identity for the offense. Licht’s draft board appears to be a grocery list after a Category 5 hurricane. Everything is needed, and the shelves are empty.
The Buccaneers finished 27th in the NFL in passing yards surrendered. A statistic that can get coordinators fired right away. The 2025 Buccaneers’ defense produced no fear. Todd Bowles understands better than anyone that once doors are opened, difficult choices follow. Two legendary players await their phones. Fans await anxiously. Change at this juncture is inevitable. The only thing that remains to be determined is who will initiate it and when.