Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Ladd McConkey

Friday, February 13, 6:14 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers impending free-agent wide receiver Mike Evans has not discussed his future with the team yet as an unrestricted free agent, but ESPN's Jenna Laine writes that Evans, 32, is "less likely to retire," based on conversations with those closest to him. The future Hall of Famer had the worst year of his career in 2025, thanks to a broken collarbone that limited him to just eight games. Evans finished his 12th year in the league with 30 receptions on 62 targets for 368 yards and three touchdowns. With limited time remaining in his NFL career, will he choose to go elsewhere for a better shot at a Super Bowl ring? It remains to be seen, but at the moment, he appears to be leaning toward returning for the 2026 season. The six-time Pro Bowler began his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons before last year's injury-plagued campaign. If he stays in Tampa in 2026, he should be the No. 1 wideout again, albeit in a crowded receiving room that also includes Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan.

Tuesday, January 27, 12:20 PM

After an excellent rookie season in 2024, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey posted a relatively disappointing sophomore campaign in 2025. Across 16 games played, the 24-year-old recorded 66 receptions for 789 yards and six touchdowns on 106 targets. McConkey's production fell off sharply down the stretch of the season, as he recorded just one game with more than 40 receiving yards after Week 10. After losing in the AFC Wild Card Round to the New England Patriots, the Chargers decided to move on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman, replacing him with former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. While McDaniel's tenure in Miami went downhill over the last couple of seasons, he coached the Dolphins to top-five offenses by measure of total passing yardage in both 2022 and 2023. By contrast, Roman-coached teams have never finished better than 13th in passing yardage in any of his 12 seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator. Given the change in offensive infrastructure around him, McConkey could be in line for a bounce-back season in 2026.