The New England Patriots reclaimed the AFC East throne this offseason, winning the division for the first time since 2019. Of course, the team went on to appear in the Super Bowl, and the Patriots have been hard at work this offseason to make sure they can get the job done next time and that they don’t relinquish the division crown anytime soon.
The rest of the AFC East is also working to make sure that’s not the case — especially the Buffalo Bills, who won the division the last five years before 2025. Buffalo has already pulled off a trade with the Chicago Bears for veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore, and they recently signed edge defender Bradley Chubb.
Turns out, the Bills were also close to getting a move done that would have created an absolute nightmare for the Patriots.
That almost move was signing legendary wideout Mike Evans, who ultimately joined the San Francisco 49ers. During his introductory press conference on Thursday, Evans explained that his priorities in free agency were finding a team that’s a contender with a good quarterback and a need for a No. 1 receiver.
He said that led him to look at San Francisco and Buffalo, before deciding that the 49ers were his No. 1 option.
Mike Evans said he was looking to join and contender with a good quarterback. The 49ers checked both boxes, he said. “So I was looking at here, Buffalo Bills, teams that needed a No. 1 wide receiver,” Evans said. “I liked this place. This was my No. 1 spot on my own (research).”
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 12, 2026
Patriots avoid disaster as Mike Evans admits he considered joining Bills
Evans going to Buffalo would’ve given Josh Allen and the Bills offense two extremely productive receivers, since they already traded for Moore. That would’ve made an already tough team even harder to deal with, and would have really threatened New England’s attempt to repeat as AFC East Champions.
Fortunately, Evans opted for the 49ers over the Bills.
Buffalo, who finished second in the division last year with a 12-5 record, is still expected to be a threat to the Patriots in 2026. Even with a new head coach and changes on both sides of the ball, most of the team is still in place, and promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach provides the Bills with continuity that should keep them competitive in 2026.
In other words, they are already enough to deal with; the last thing the Patriots needed was Mike Evans being added into the mix for Buffalo. Fortunately, that crisis was averted.