Will Mike Evans Retire After Final Game With Buccaneers? | Latest NFL Updates, News & Rumors

Will Mike Evans retire after what could have been his final game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? The Buccaneers' season is officially over after the Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday to knock Tampa Bay out of the playoffs for the first time in five years - and it could mean the end of Evans' illustrious career with the only team he's ever known.

Evans has hinted at his potential retirement for years dating back to his last foray into free agency two years ago, and the speculation and rumors have only intensified after recent comments by the Buccaneers star ahead of Week 18. We're breaking down the latest news and updates about Evans' retirement.

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This isn't the first time Evans retirement rumors were floating around as the end of the season neared - he considered leaving the Buccaneers and potentially the NFL altogether two years ago before signing an extension to remain with Tampa Bay.

That contract expires at the end of this season, which came Sunday for the Buccaneers after the Falcons beat the Saints in Week 18. That triggered a convoluted tiebreaker that rewarded the Panthers with the NFC South title, ending Tampa Bay's five-year playoff run and signalling the finale of Evans' 12th season since the Bucs selected him seventh overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Evans hinted at retirement in the preseason, telling multiple reporters that retirement was an option at the end of this season. He was also noncommital in the days leading up to Saturday's regular-season finale, saying he wasn't focused on his future and "whatever happens, happens" after Week 18.

He even got chippy with reporters and fans earlier this week with the insinuation that he could be done after this week - perhaps a sign that he's considering returning after this season, or a slight about the idea that his team's season could be over after this week:

Either way, the signs are there for a potential send-off of the franchise's all-time leading receiver and one of the best in NFL history. With rumors swirling about his retirement, the team gave out Mike Evans bobbleheads to the first 13,000 fans in attendance for Saturday's regular-season finale - a nod to the No. 13 that will surely be in the team's ring of honor whenever Evans does decide to hang it up.

Evans missed nine games with various injuries this season (the most in his 12-year career) and will ultimately fall well short of 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his illustrious career. That 11-year streak with at least 1,000 yards is tied with Jerry Rice for the most of all time, and those two are among nine receivers with at least 850 receptions, 13,000 receiving yards, and 100 touchdown receptions in a career.

He did signal earlier this week that his time off the field helped him realize how much he'd miss the game when on the sidelines. Perhaps that'll lead Evans to return for another season with Tampa Bay or elsewhere with his contract expired.