In the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise, there has never been a player like wide receiver Mike Evans.
If Evans can somehow find a way to get 85 receiving yards in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New Orleans Saints, we can also say there has been only one other player in the history of the NFL like Evans, who is trying to tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s NFL record of 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
That it’s the most important game of the year for the Buccaneers only ratchets up the drama — the Buccaneers can clinch a fifth consecutive playoff appearance with a victory.
“I couldn’t track it, but I know it’s getting close,” Evans told ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “I’m just trying to make every play that comes my way. Obviously it gets bigger and bigger each year — when you’re chasing history, you’re chasing greatness. I’ve been blessed to do that for this many years and be close this year. Hopefully I get it.”
That Evans or the Buccaneers are even in this position is its own kind of football miracle.
Record Pursuit Seemed Lost After Week 7 Injury
Evans already owns the NFL record for most consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards to start a career with 10, which he set in 2023 with 79 receptions for 1,255 yards and led the league with 13 touchdown receptions.
Evans, a 2-time NFL All-Pro and 5-time Pro Bowler, owns every significant career receiving record for the Buccaneers and helped lead them to a Super Bowl win following the 2020 season.
Tampa Bay rewarded Evans with a 2-year, $52 million contract in March 2024 and he’s almost certainly going to be a first ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer when that day eventually comes.
All of those accomplishments did little to soften the blow when both Evans (hamstring) and fellow star wide receiver Chris Godwin (dislocated ankle) were injured in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Godwin, Tampa Bay’s leading receiver, would miss the rest of the season. Evans, who was having a down year at the time, missed a career-high 3 games as the Buccaneers lost 4 consecutive games to drop to 4-6 and seemed on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention.
Evans’ Return Sparks Dramatic Late-Season Run
Evans returned to the lineup in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys and has been playing some of the best football of his career as the Buccaneers have won 5 of their last 6 games headed into Week 18.
“… he’s notched 580 receiving yards since his return in Week 12 — third-most in the league behind Puka Nacua and Jerry Jeudy,” Laine wrote on January 3.
Evans Discussed Record Before Season Began
Evans hasn’t shied away from talking about the record, which was a hot topic before the regular season began.
“I don’t, like, list off things, but that’s one of them that’s in the back of my mind because everybody’s talking about it,” Evans told NFL.com on July 24. “That’s been a record around for how many years now? Over 20 years? So, that’s something I definitely want to accomplish, and just help the team win ball games and be better than we were last year.”
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Buccaneers’ $52 Million WR ‘Chasing Greatness’ With NFL Record at Stake