As the Buccaneers face potentially their biggest offseason in recent years, given 2025’s tumultuous ending, they’ll need to evaluate their pending free agent class.
While the list isn’t as long as some recent years, there will still be some major decisions on the road ahead — especially when considering outside free agents might get stronger consideration than in years past.
Here is the complete list of free agents for the Buccaneers, all statuses included:
Unrestricted Free Agents
- WR Mike Evans
- WR Sterling Shepard
- LB Lavonte David
- LB Deion Jones
- CB Jamel Dean
- CB Kindle Vildor
- RB Rachaad White
- TE Cade Otton
- TE Ko Kieft
- DL Logan Hall
- DL Greg Gaines
- EDGE Haason Reddick
- QB Teddy Bridgewater
- OL Charlie Heck
- OL Dan Feeney
- OL Mike Jordan
Restricted Free Agents
- RB Sean Tucker
- S Christian Izien
- EDGE Markees Watts
- LS Evan Deckers (exclusive rights)
Club Option
- P Riley Dixon
Let’s take a look at how the team might lean
when it comes to keeping or letting go of these players.
Lean Staying
Evans, David, Otton, Gaines, Tucker, Izien, Watts, Deckers
There’s been some recent rumblings from outsider sources with limited credibility that Evans wants to leave the Bucs in 2026. The Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud firmly shut down any talk of that, as there’s been no indication Evans has even had those discussions with his agent or the team.
While it’s not impossible, of course, Evans is a future Hall of Famer who has spent his entire 11-year career with the Buccaneers. He’s the best offensive player in team history by a vast margin, and his entire family is well-ingrained in the community. Entering his age-33 season, he’s battled injury the last two seasons but has shown he still has gas in the tank. Given all we know about him as a player and person, it feels more likely than not he will want to finish on much better terms if possible with the only team he’s known.
David confirmed with Kay Adams last week that, if he’s returning for Year 15, it will be in Red & Pewter without any doubt. The franchise legend, who just turned 36, has clearly slowed down to no surprise, but if he feels he can still play and the team wants him, they’ll find a role for him.
Cade Otton is the definition of a reliable contributor who fills his role with limited flash. In 63 games (58 starts), Otton has produced a respectable 207 catches for 2,018 yards and 11 TDs. He’s a willing and adequate blocker, and he has filled in several times over the last two years as a primary receiver when injuries afflicted the primary weapons. Unless he wants to leave, he’ll likely have a place in Tampa on a modest deal.
Gaines is unspectacular nose tackle depth but the team seems to like him and he’s very cheap so it seems unlikely he will leave.
It seems likely the restricted free agents will stick around. Tucker is poised for a bigger role and he’s proven to have big-play ability from time to time, while Izien and Watts are core backups and special teamers. Izien in particular provides considerable flexibility as a nickel or safety. Deckers is the long snapper and those tend to have pretty long tenures around the league, doesn’t seem like he’s given them any strong reason to move on.
Lean Leaving
Dean, White, Reddick, Bridgewater, Vildor, Jones, Heck, Feeney, Jordan
After having a career season on the heels of a paycut, it doesn’t seem likely Dean will stick around entering his age-30 season. As great as he was, Dean is still often-injured (missed three games) and it’s very risky to pay big money to a corner in his 30s. Plus, the Buccaneers drafted his replacement in Benjamin Morrison just last year. Dean’s contributions will always be appreciated, but it might be the end.
White has made painfully obvious in recent weeks via social media posts and interviews that he is not coming back so there’s not much to be said. He’s a reliable runner, pass catcher, and protector who deserves an expanded role elsewhere.
Reddick, the team’s crown jewel of the 2025 free agent class, got severely hampered by knee and ankle injuries but even then struggled to make the impact the team envisioned (2.5 sacks total in 13 games). The one-year prove-it deal did not work out, so he’ll need to find somewhere else to continue his career.
Bridgewater seems to be taking his career on a year-by-year basis, though the Bucs seemed to have very little faith in him to do much actual quarterbacking based on they kept trotting a brutalized Baker Mayfield out onto the field week after week. The team would do well to seek an upgrade here.
Vildor was valuable depth but he might seek out opportunities to start like he has done in the past.
Jones, Feeney, Heck, and Jordan are replacement-level players who should be upgraded upon whenever possible.
50/50
Hall, Dixon
Hall, the team’s top pick from 2022, has not turned into a top-level contributor but showed some growth in 2025. Entering his age-26 season, Hall might still have a future, so the Bucs may want to keep him around a while longer to see if there’s more meat on the bone. That said, he might want to get a fresh start elsewhere.
The team has a club option on Dixon’s contract for 2026, so that will be one of the bigger evaluation points. He’s due a $3 million cap hit, which isn’t nothing, and there was a bad taste on the entire special teams unit minus Chase McLaughlin and Kameron Johnson. Dixon honestly wasn’t bad most of the year, but the team could probably seek an upgrade if they wanted.
