All good things must come to an end. For example, my favorite French restaurant here in Des Moines announced they'll be closing in March after almost 20 years in business. I've gone there for anniversaries, birthdays, random happy hours just because I wanted to go there. I made a reservation already to say goodbye in late February; one more night at a place that's meant so much.
What does that have to do with the NFL? Well, player and team pairings can't last forever either. It might seem like Mike Evans playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is one of those things that will continue until the sun burns out, but like the lifespan of your favorite restaurant, it could suddenly come to an end. And Evans isn't the only long-term member of an NFL team who is about to see his time with his old franchise close down.
Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans was a portrait of consistency with the Buccaneers. His first 11 seasons with Tampa all ended with Evans going over 1,000 yards and his 12th could have gotten there too if not for an injury that cost him nine games.
But the writing is on the wall that Evans' time in Tampa is over. The Buccaneers spent a first-round pick on Emeka Egbuka last offseason, plus fellow rookie Tez Johnson flashed his potential with five touchdown receptions. Without a realistic out until 2027 on Chris Godwin's deal, the Buccaneers aren't going to have room for Evans unless he's willing to take a big pay cut. And maybe he will be, but Evans is also a 33-year-old who probably only has, like, one more chance to sign a big deal in the NFL, so testing the free agent market makes the most sense here. It'll be weird to see Evans in a different uniform, but it's probably time.
Kyle Pitts - Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts has only spent five years in Atlanta, but considering the hype that accompanied his arrival in the NFL, I imagine Falcons fans were expecting Pitts to be around Atlanta for a long time.
Instead, he hits free agency fresh off the best season of his NFL career. The Falcons probably wish they'd gotten an extension done instead of letting him play out his fifth-year option, but it's too late for that now. They could tag him, but that would cost almost $16 million. Does Atlanta want to give Pitts that much money when he's only been good in two of his five NFL seasons?
Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | |
|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 68 | 1026 | 1 |
2022 | 28 | 356 | 2 |
2023 | 53 | 667 | 3 |
2024 | 47 | 602 | 4 |
2025 | 88 | 928 | 5 |
We'll see. Right now, I lean the direction of Pitts playing elsewhere in 2026, ending a short tenure that really looked like it was going to develop into something bigger.
Cameron Jordan - New Orleans Saints
Cameron Jordan has been in the NFL so long that he made a memorable guest appearance on The League alongside Jordan Cameron. That show ended in 2015. Jordan Cameron hasn't played in the NFL since 2016. Cameron Jordan, meanwhile, just completed his 15th season with the New Orleans Saints.
Surely this has to be the end, right? Jordan is still an effective player, recording 10.5 sacks last season for New Orleans, marking his first double-digit sack season with 2021. It's been a great career, but one thing is missing: postseason success.
Arriving in New Orleans a couple of years after the team's Super Bowl victory, Jordan has played a total of 11 playoff games in his career, with none since the 2020 season. Staying in New Orleans might be okay if Jordan wants to get to the playoffs one more time, but if he wants a chance to win a Super Bowl? He'll have to go elsewhere, and at this point in his career, no one should blame him if he does that.
Joel Bitonio - Cleveland Browns
Joe Bitonio has provided the Cleveland Browns strong support at left guard for 12 years, making seven Pro Bowl appearances while protecting a never-ending rotation of mediocre quarterbacks. Bitonio deserves applause for the hard work he's provided for this franchise.
He also needs to get out of Cleveland. Now. 12 seasons playing for the Browns sounds like a nightmare and the team enters 2026 with as many questions as ever about the offense. Why stick around for another four-win campaign when you could simply sign somewhere else?
And there'd be no shortage of suitors for Bitonio. 2025 might not have been his best season, but he's still capable of being a positive presence on almost any team in the league. I know there have been retirement whispers, but I think Bitonio needs at least one season outside of Cleveland to see if he can find postseason success.
Mo Alie-Cox - Indianapolis Colts
Death, taxes and Mo Alie-Cox catching 13 passes for the Indianapolis Colts: these are the only guarantees in life. But after eight years with the franchise, it's probably time for Alie-Cox to move on.
Receptions | |
|---|---|
2018 | 7 |
2019 | 8 |
2020 | 31 |
2021 | 24 |
2022 | 19 |
2023 | 13 |
2024 | 12 |
2025 | 13 |
Tyler Warren is obviously the starter at tight end going forward, but the team also has Will Mallory and Sean McKeon under contract next season, plus could bring back Andrew Ogletree for less than it would cost to bring back Alie-Cox. It just doesn't really make sense for him to remain in Indianapolis at this point.
The bigger question is if Alie-Cox will land anywhere after the Colts move on from him. The answer to that is "probably," but it'll be hard to find a larger role elsewhere.