Buccaneers To Sign QB Jake Browning
Jake Browning has found his next NFL home. The veteran QB has agreed to terms on a one-year Buccaneers deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
A former Washington standout, Browning spent the first two seasons of his professional career on the Vikings practice squad. He caught on with the Bengals practice squad in 2021, and he also spent the following season on Cincy’s taxi squad.
He finally earned a roster spot in 2023, when he beat out Trevor Siemian to be Joe Burrow‘s primary backup. Burrow ended up suffering a season-ending wrist injury that season, forcing Browning into the starting lineup. He was predictably a far cry from his superstar teammate, but he managed to keep the Bengals afloat, as the team went 4-3 in Browning’s seven starts.
The career backup ultimately finished that campaign having completed a league-leading 70.4 percent of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He added another 127 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He had a standout showing during his second career start, completing 32 of his 37 pass attempts in an overtime win over the Jaguars. That performance ended up earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Browning inked a two-year extension with the Bengals the following offseason, and he’s spent the past two years as Burrow’s backup. After barely seeing the field in 2024, Browning added another three starts to his resume in 2025. Cincy went winless in those three games, and Browning finished the campaign having tossed six touchdowns vs. eight interceptions.
Now, he’ll be looking to continue his career in Tampa Bay, where he’ll be penciled in as Baker Mayfield‘s primary backup. Teddy Bridgewater held that role in 2025, but the veteran QB just joined the Lions as a free agent. Browning is likely a shoo-in for the Buccaneers QB2 role, although the team is still rostering 2025 UDFA Connor Bazelak.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
LB Lavonte David Will Either Re-Sign With Buccaneers Or Retire
If Lavonte David plays in 2026, it will only be for the Buccaneers. The veteran linebacker will either re-sign with Tampa Bay or retire this offseason, agent Ron Butler said during an appearance on WDAE (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
Butler made it clear that “those are the two options” while noting that David will make a decision soon. The 36-year-old is currently a free agent.
After signing a one-year, $9MM to stick in Tampa Bay last offseason, David proceeded to compile 114 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games. According to Stroud, the linebacker suffered a knee injury in 2025 that needed to be drained weekly. The veteran ended up undergoing arthroscopic surgery after the season.
The 2012 second-round pick has spent his entire career in Tampa Bay. He was a key member of the Super Bowl LV-winning squad, and he’s earned three All-Pro nods throughout his 14 years in the NFL. He’s continued to ink one-year deals with the Buccaneers since the 2023 campaign, and he’s been considering retirement for the past few years. Back in February, David admitted that he was still undecided on his decision.
“I’m genuinely undecided, like I don’t know,” David said at the time. “I don’t know. I still got a lot of football left in me. I know that for sure. I still love the game. I know that for sure. The other side is I want to spend more time with my daughter. She’s in school, so [I’ve been] taking her to school and it’s a good feeling.”
David has still been plenty productive throughout his 30s. Over the past four years, he’s averaged more than 120 tackles and four sacks per season. However, after topping out as Pro Football Focus’ third-best linebacker in 2022, David has seen his positional grade continually drop, leading to a 66th-place finish (among 88 qualifying linebackers) in 2025.
The Buccaneers have added Alex Anzalone to their linebackers corps this offseason, but the team otherwise hasn’t really invested in the position recently. The organization would surely welcome back David for another season in 2026, especially as the team navigates Mike Evans‘ noteworthy departure.
49ers To Sign WR Mike Evans
11:10pm: The Evans contract is worth $42.4MM in base value, according to The33rdTeam’s Ari Meirov. The incentive-laden deal includes $16.3MM guaranteed. This would stand to give the 49ers flexibility beyond 2026, though it is not yet known how the contract is structured.
1:35pm: Mike Evans will not agree to a fourth Buccaneers contract. Instead, the greatest offensive player in franchise history is leaving Tampa after 12 seasons. The 49ers are adding Evans, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports.
San Francisco is bringing in the future Hall of Famer on a three-year deal, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Buccaneers have been among the best at retaining their own players under Jason Licht, and Evans’ agent confirms Tampa Bay made a “very strong offer.” But Evans will play for a second NFL team soon.
It is a three-year deal worth up to $60.4MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Evans was linked to a $20MM-per-year price recently, and while he may have fallen just short, this still represents a quality free agency conclusion for a soon-to-be 33-year-old receiver. An offer as high as $27MM per year may have emerged, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman offers. Evans could conceivably be more interested in fit at this stage of his career, having already played out two lucrative deals following his 2014 first-round accord.
Only Jerry Rice has more 1,000-yard seasons than Evans’ 11. While the 49ers wide receiver legend is in his own league for All-Pro honors (11), Evans is a two-time All-Pro whose most recent such honor came in 2023. A broken collarbone sidelined Evans for much of 2025, but prior to that, the 6-foot-5 wideout began with an NFL-record-smashing 11 straight seasons of 1,000 receiving yards to start a career.
The Bucs had kept Evans off the 2024 free agent market by giving him a two-year, $41MM deal; this time around, the team viewed its all-time leading receiver as having the right to hear other teams’ offers. The Bucs drafted Emeka Egbuka in Round 1 last year, doing so a month after re-signing Chris Godwin for a second time. They also have Jalen McMillan signed through 2027. But Evans’ departure will sting Tampa Bay’s offense, as he has more than a 5,000-yard lead on the second-leading receiver (Godwin) in franchise history.
The 49ers are soon to release Brandon Aiyuk — barring an unlikely 11th-hour trade agreement — after a strange 2025. San Francisco took the rare step of voiding Aiyuk’s guarantees, as his injury rehab veered off course from the team’s wishes, and the 2024 extension recipient became distant during a lost season. The 49ers then lost 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall to multiple injuries, finishing the year with George Kittle suffering an Achilles tear. Jauan Jennings helped save this battered receiving corps, and while the 49ers want to retain the former seventh-round find, he is now a free agent.
Beginning his Bucs career before Jameis Winston‘s arrival, Evans worked with the erratic No. 1 overall pick for five seasons and became a key part of the team’s sales pitch to Tom Brady in 2020. Evans and Godwin helped convince Brady to join the Bucs, and the duo were pivotal during the franchise’s run to a Super Bowl LV win. After Antonio Brown‘s infamous walk-off, Evans continued to anchor the Bucs’ receiving corps and became a central reason for Baker Mayfield‘s rebound. It will be interesting to see if the Bucs go after a starter-level replacement or roll with Godwin, Egbuka and McMillan while allocating resources elsewhere.
Evans was connected to numerous teams in free agency. The Bills, Chargers, Commanders, Giants and Browns were among the suitors. The 49ers were on that list, however, with our Adam La Rose pegging this as a strong fit in his most recent mailbag. They will see if Evans can lift an offense that might be Kittle-less to open the 2026 season.
Bucs, Kenneth Gainwell Agree To Terms
Kenneth Gainwell enjoyed a strong season in 2025. It has landed him a new deal which will send him out of Pittsburgh, though.
The veteran running back has agreed to terms with the Buccaneers, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. This will be a two-year pact worth $14MM. Gainwell will collect $10MM guaranteed.
As Gainwell has moved to the Bucs, the Steelers wound up replacing him with Rico Dowdle for similar money. Though, Dowdle landed a two-year, $12.25MM pact. Gainwell did a little better, and a strong 2025 season in Pittsburgh paved the way.
Earning Steelers team MVP honors, Gainwell outplayed his one-year, $1.79MM deal in 2025. The four-year Eagles backup amassed 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns last season, playing a key role for a Steelers team that again lacked wide receiver depth. Gainwell only has 394 career carries, helping his cause ahead of an age-27 season.
Tampa Bay has a locked-in starting running back, as Bucky Irving displayed star potential as a rookie. A two-injury 2025 season slowed the former fourth-round pick, forcing the Bucs to turn to the demoted Rachaad White. Irving’s older complementary option is not expected to return, and the team did not tender Sean Tucker as an RFA. While Tucker would be brought back at a lower rate, Gainwell is in place as the clear insurance option — a player whose contract suggests a 1-B role could be in the cards — alongside Irving.
Gainwell only logged 280 carries in four Eagles seasons, playing behind a revolving door of higher-caliber RBs. Gainwell backed up Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift and Saquon Barkley. The Eagles kept trusting the former fifth-round pick as their No. 2 option, and after the Steelers season, Gainwell will see a big pay raise. His two-year deal complements Irving’s rookie accord, with the Bucs now set for an interesting setup in which their backup RB will earn roughly six times the starter’s salary. Irving cannot be extended until 2027.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Buccaneers To Sign LB Alex Anzalone
Middle linebacker Alex Anzalone is going from Detroit to Tampa Bay. Anzalone has agreed to a two-year, $17MM contract with the Buccaneers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
This move sends Anzalone back to Florida, where he played college football with the Gators. The former Saints third-round pick will also return to the NFC South after opening his career there from 2017-20.
While Anzalone was primarily a backup in New Orleans, he was a full-time starter during his five-year tenure in Detroit. There was a belief he would reunite with former Lions defensive coordinator and current Jets head coach Aaron Glenn in free agency. Instead, Anzalone will join a Tampa Bay team that has a better chance to compete for a playoff spot in the near term.
During his last year in Detroit, Anzalone started in all 16 games and finished with 95 tackles, nine passes defensed, 2.5 sacks and an interception. The 31-year-old played 90.86% of defensive snaps, good for third on the Lions, and placed a respectable 33rd among 88 qualifying linebackers at Pro Football Focus.
The Buccaneers’ addition of Anzalone further calls fellow veteran middle linebacker Lavonte David‘s future into question. A full-time starter since the Buccaneers drafted him in 2012, David has become an icon in Tampa Bay. But David is now a 36-year-old pending free agent who is mulling retirement. The Anzalone signing could signal the end of David’s prolific 14-year run with the Bucs.
Bucs To Re-Sign TE Cade Otton
Instead of testing the market during his first trip to free agency, Cade Otton will choose to remain in place. A new Buccaneers pact is being finalized with the fifth-year tight end, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Otton has landed a three-year deal, Ari Meriov of the 33rd Team reports. The pact has a base value of $30MM, and it contains $20MM in guarantees. That $10MM AAV now ranks 15th among tight ends, with his guarantees ranking 14th at the position.
The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Washington earned the trust of Tom Brady as a rookie, when he finished with 42 receptions for 391 yards and two touchdowns. He continued that production when Baker Mayfield took over under center, with Otton emerging as a key target on a talented offense.
He had his best showing in 2024, when he hauled in 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. His follow-up showing wasn’t as impressive, especially as the Buccaneers navigated a number of injuries on offense. Still, Otton finished the year with another 59 catches for 572 yards and one touchdown. The 26-year-old has also graded out as an above-average pass blocker in recent years.
Otton will continue to lead the depth chart in 2026. He could theoretically see an increased target share following the departure of Mike Evans. However, with the likes of Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson still around, it’s more likely Otton will see a similar offensive role in 2026.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Offseason Outlook: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
From 2022-24, the Buccaneers stood in command of the NFC South while residing as a fringe Super Bowl threat. Last season dislodged Tampa Bay's grip on the NFL's worst division, bringing state-of-the-union questions to the forefront. Todd Bowles survived, but it is safe to say the Bruce Arians successor is on the hot seat.
Injuries harpooned the Bucs last season, but the team could not recapture much momentum even after a host of offensive talent returned late in the year. December home losses to the Falcons and Saints prevented the Bucs' Week 18 win over the Panthers from mattering. As a team that continues to rely on a draft-develop-extend/re-sign blueprint, last year's 8-9 season invited concern about the franchise's direction.
Coaching/front office:
- Fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard
- Hired Zac Robinson as OC replacement
- Fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey
- Hired Danny Smith as STC replacement, Luke Smith as assistant ST coach
- Chandler Whitmer added as quarterbacks coach
- Senior offensive consultant Tom Moore retired
- Added T.J. Yates as pass-game coordinator, Ken Zampese as senior offensive assistant
- Assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci became Jaguars run-game coordinator
- Todd Bowles Jr. hired as defensive assistant
- Fired D-line coach Charlie Strong; Marcus West named replacement
- Fired cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross; Rashad Johnson named replacement
- Discussed position with ex-Bills HC Sean McDermott
The Bucs have a different offensive coordinator for a fifth straight year. Rather than follow Dave Canales and Liam Coen in landing head coaching jobs, Grizzard followed Byron Leftwich in receiving a pink slip. The Bucs had aimed for rare continuity with Grizzard, elevating him from pass-game coordinator to OC. The longtime Dolphins assistant, who joined the Bucs' staff in 2024, could not replicate what Canales and Coen provided.
Tyler Linderbaum, Kenneth Walker Too Expensive For Giants?
Recent reports have linked pending free agents Tyler Linderbaum and Kenneth Walker III to the Giants, but an aggressive pursuit may be unlikely in both cases. Linderbaum and Walker are now out of the Giants’ price range, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. For a team with $14.28MM in cap space, winning a bidding war for Linderbaum or Walker would be a challenge.
As the Ravens’ center since entering the NFL in 2022, Linderbaum has only played for head coach John Harbaugh during his four-year career. However, it does not appear their partnership will continue with the Giants in 2026.
Linderbaum, a three-time Pro Bowler and PFR’s top-ranked pending free agent, is poised to surpass the Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey as the game’s highest-paid center. Humphrey inked a four-year, $72MM contract with over $50MM in guarantees in 2024.
If the Giants want to upgrade over starting center John Michael Schmitz, established free agent choices are dwindling. Connor McGovern (Bills) and Tyler Biadasz (Chargers) have come off the market over the past couple of days. Cade Mays, Ethan Pocic and Lloyd Cushenberry are a few of the experienced names left.
Riding the momentum of a Super Bowl LX MVP win with the Seahawks, Walker will be the prize among free agent running backs this offseason. Five-year Jaguar Travis Etienne will not be cheap, but he will be more affordable for the Giants and other teams that lose out on Walker. The Giants are reportedly interested in Etienne. Rico Dowdle, Tyler Allgeier, Rachaad White and Kenneth Gainwell are in the next tier of unsigned veterans. It’s unclear whether the Giants will go after any of them. The team kept veteran Devin Singletary around for a pay cut on Sunday. New York also has Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy under contract for 2026.
Along with their interior offensive line, cornerback and linebacker are among positions the Giants will prioritize, according to Hughes, who points to Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean as a name to watch. The Bucs are expected to move on from Dean after a seven-year run in which he mostly worked as a full-time starter. Dean, 29, is heading for the market after intercepting a career-high three passes in 14 games last season. He could replace pending free agent corner Cordale Flott in New York.
DB Rumors: Bryant, Bucs, Flott, Pierre
Joining Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe as Seahawks DB regulars less than a day away from free agency, Coby Bryant will be expected to draw extensive interest once the legal tampering period begins Monday. PFR’s No. 28-ranked free agent, Bryant is part of a crowded safety market that could see several starter-level players need to take lesser-value deals. Bryant may come in above that line, and the Seahawks are attempting to keep him off the market. The defending Super Bowl champs — who made a summer effort to extend Bryant last year but had not circled back as of Super Bowl LX — are interested in re-signing the converted corner, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes.
The Seahawks already have Julian Love on a three-year, $33MM deal, and even though the team once employed Love and Quandre Diggs alongside Jamal Adams‘ then-record deal, that came under Pete Carroll. Bryant started 26 games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons. While Ty Okada moving into the lineup alongside Love could serve as a Seattle contingency plan, it appears the team wants to keep Bryant from reaching the market. At 11am CT Monday, the Seahawks will need to compete against other teams for him.
Here is the latest from NFL secondaries.
- After removing a year from Jamel Dean‘s contract — as a pay cut also took place — the Buccaneers are expected to move on from the seven-year veteran, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Dean was tied to a four-year, $52MM deal entering September but was given a pay cut. The 29-year-old cornerback still excelled, allowing just 49.5% of the passes thrown his way to be completed and earning a fifth-place CB ranking from Pro Football Focus. As discussed in the Buccaneers’ Offseason Outlook, this will sever ties with Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl-era CB corps. The team will have Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish positioned to start on the outside in 2026, Stroud adds.
- The Giants were believed to have been the runners-up for Trent McDuffie, pointing to heavy cornerback interest. This effort may have been overblown, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets, expressing some doubt about the team’s interest in paying top dollar for a cornerback. No free agent on this year’s market will draw that kind of offer, but Duggan notes Cor’Dale Flott is expected to land somewhere from $8-$14MM per year. PFR’s No. 42 free agent, Flott started 37 games as a Giant. John Harbaugh identified the former third-round pick as a player the team would like to keep. With Paulson Adebo on an $18MM-per-year contract, how much will Big Blue be willing to spend to ensure he stays?
- James Pierre delivered a surprising season, based on his past as a part-time starter in Pittsburgh. PFF ranked Pierre second among corners last year, though he only logged 408 snaps. A six-year Steeler who has only started 13 career games, Pierre played well in spot duty (five starts) last season. As a result, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson hears eight or nine teams have shown preliminary interest. This would be a nice development for Pierre, a former UDFA who played on a veteran-minimum deal in 2025. Pierre’s market will be hindered, to a degree, by his age. The Lamar Jackson cousin turns 30 this offseason.
- The Bills‘ recent Sam Franklin re-signing is for $7MM over three years, according to OverTheCap. The veteran special-teamer will see $2.53MM guaranteed.
Mike Evans To Explore Free Agent Options; Browns Among Likely Suitors
4:36pm: While Evans will gauge his market, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes the Buccaneers will be able to provide counter offers before a final decision is made. One of Tampa Bay’s top priorities in free agency will be electing to match the bids made by interested teams in this case or allowing Evans to depart.
2:27pm: Mike Evans will play in 2026 but it remains to be seen if his iconic Buccaneers tenure will continue. Outside options will be explored before a final decision is made in this case. 
Evans’ agent Deryk Gilmore confirmed to the media (including Dianna Russini of The Athletic) on Sunday that no early Buccaneers re-up will take place this time around. That was the case in 2024, but other teams will have the opportunity to make a push for Evans this week.
Discussions with Tampa Bay are ongoing, but the team already has much of its WR setup in place for 2026. The Bucs spent last offseason re-signing Chris Godwin and selecting Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the draft; those two will work with Jalen McMillan once again next year. It will be interesting to see how prepared Tampa Bay is to make a competitive Evans offer over the coming days.
A long list of suitors has emerged in the six-time Pro Bowler’s case recently, and it appears it could grow once the negotiating period open. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports the Browns are expected to be among the teams which make a push to sign Evans this week. New head coach Todd Monken worked with Evans from 2016-18 when he was Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator. That level of familiarity could come into play on the open market, but in general the Browns figure to be in the market for a receiver upgrade.
Cleveland ranked 31st in passing yards this past season. Stronger play up front and at the quarterback position would of course go a long way in improving on that figure in 2026. As Monken prepares to lead the Browns, though, an addition or two in the pass-catching department would certainly be welcomed as well. Thanks to the latest Deshaun Watson restructure, Cleveland currently has $15.8MM in cap space.
Evans was limited to eight games in 2025, leaving him short of 1,000 yards for the first time in his 12-year career. At the age of 33 (by the time the coming campaign begins), durability could increasingly become an area of caution for interested teams. In the event of a Buccaneers departure – something which seems to be increasingly likely – Evans will account for a $13MM dead money charge on Tampa Bay’s capsheet.