Mike Evans return to Texas inevitable in NFL Free Agency?

Mike Evans has had a borderline mythical career in the NFL. The former first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft has had a rather unprecedented run of success spanning 10 full seasons. He has never had under 1,000 yards receiving in a single season, and he's never played fewer than 13 games. It's somewhat of a shock that Evans will only turn 31 this coming season given all he's accomplished as a pro, being selected to five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams while also winning a Super Bowl.

Evans is one of the best to do it in the NFL over the last decade, and he could be a major difference maker for teams in the hunt to win it all in 2024. Perhaps more specifically, the free agent to be could help a couple of teams in his home state of Texas who are on the cusp of Super Bowl contention. Evans, a Galveston native who played his college ball at Texas A&M, could be destined to head to the Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys in NFL Free Agency.

Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys should be after Mike Evans

The Houston Texans are coming off of an outstanding first year under head coach DeMeco Ryans with Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud playing the quarterback position. The Texans not only went from worst to first in the AFC South this past year, but CJ Stroud helped put them on the map as a legitimate contender in a somewhat weak AFC in 2023.

And going forward, you expect this team to continually get better.

Adding a player like Mike Evans into the mix would certainly help, even though the Texans saw the development and emergence of Nico Collins in 2023. Collins became a true threat every week in that offense, along with rookie Tank Dell whose season was unfortunately cut short due to a knee injury.

With Evans in the fold, the salary cap-rich Texans could get a much-needed veteran presence and add another big body on the outside to create mismatches against anyone they face next year. Having that combination of size and speed all over the receiver position with a QB like Stroud who spreads the ball around well would be a borderline unfair advantage.

The Dallas Cowboys could also be an intriguing potential fit for Evans in free agency. The Cowboys would have to cut both Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks in order to facilitate this kind of a move, but giving Dak Prescott additional (consistent) weapons in the passing game is a necessity for that team moving forward.

The Amari Cooper trade has aged extremely poorly with time, and CeeDee Lamb seems to be doing more and more on his own every year. The Cowboys almost need someone like Evans to come in and take pressure off.

Either way, a return to the state of Texas could make a lot of sense for Evans, who will undoubtedly have a variety of suitors all over the place once free agency opens.