With all the conversation surrounding Mike Evans’ future with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the future of starting tight end Cade Otton flew under the radar, for the most part.

Honestly, it kind of makes sense, too. Otton is one of the most underrated players in the league, despite being considered top-10 at his position by those who pay close attention to the NFL as a whole.

Regardless, the Buccaneers are fully aware of Otton’s value and they proved that by signing him to a new deal, marking their first move of 2026 free agency. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport initially broke the news and Otton’s new deal becomes official when free agency starts on Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p.m. ET.

Otton is a key part of the Buccaneers offense and helps keep the continuity strong

Otton is a “Y” tight end, which means he’s your more traditional, in-line guy who puts his hand in the dirt and not only makes plays in the passing game, but is a proficient blocker, as well. The key with Otton, however, is he can split out into the slot and even out wide in some cases, showcasing his overall athleticism.

Otton’s not going to explode for 150+ yards and multiple TD receptions like a Kyle Pitts or prime Travis Kelce, but he’s a well-rounded player who can do everything and he’s a great teammate and person. He’s also extremely reliable, playing 63 out of a 64 possible games throughout his career, thus far.

His returns puts the Buccaneers at 10-of-11 offensive starters from 2025 coming back in 2026. That’s obviously huge as everyone learns new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s offense, which will have elements of Liam Coen’s offense that Josh Grizzard obviously deployed, last year. Mike Evans remains the only starter that’s yet to officially return for this season.

What does Otton’s agreement mean for Mike Evans’ future?

Honestly, I don’t think it really affects or creates any trickle-down effect for Evan’s future with the Buccaneers. Otton shouldn’t command a crazy salary and Jason Licht should be able to modify the contract where it doesn’t take a big chunk out of this year’s cap space.

Sure, it certainly eats into the Bucs’ ability to retain Evans, but I don’t think it moves the needle in the direction of “hurting” their chances, either.

Where did Otton rank in A to Z Sports’ Top-100?

Rank: 74

The skinny: Cade Otton isn’t a name that immediately pings people’s brains, but I can promise anyone would love to have him on their team. He’s a traditional Y tight end that plays inline the vast majority of the time. He’s proven to be effective in the pass game, and he’s shown on plenty of occasions he can do the dirty work, aka blocking, at a high level, and he’s not afraid to stick his nose in guys’ faces (see him vs. Aidan Hutchinson in 2024).

Otton is in his prime and can fit into any offense, making him a top target for any team needing a starting-caliber tight end.

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