Getty Tom Brady and Mike Evans celebrate after a touchdown against Chicago on Sunday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady humorously expects wide receiver Mike Evans to pay more attention to the ball in the future.
Brady hasn’t let Evans off easy after the team’s touchdown reception leader gave away Brady’s 600th touchdown ball to a fan on Sunday. On his podcast Let’s Go!, Brady said Evans called it an “accident.”
“I accidentally gave it away. I didn’t know,” Evans said according to Brady.
“Well, I might accidentally not throw you another touchdown pass all season,” Brady retorted. “We better get that thing back.”
Tom Brady had jokes for Mike Evans 😂
If that wasn’t enough, Brady added on the podcast that he used the ball to play catch with his daughter, Vivian, in the locker room.
“She was actually the last person to catch this pass,” Brady jokingly told podcast guest Chris Berman of ESPN. “It wasn’t Mike’s touchdown, it was my daughter in the locker room after the game. It was pretty sweet. It was good to have her there.”
Brady, of course, will likely throw many more touchdowns to Evans this season. Evans has seven touchdown receptions already this season, which is already more than half of his total last season.
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Evans Apologizes to Brady on Social Media
Evans apologized according to Brady in the postgame press conference, and the star receiver made another apology on social media.
“Sorry big bro,” Evans wrote. “Glad that priceless legendary item was retrieved.”
Brady reassured Evans on the sideline after the mistake, he said.
“I said, ‘It’s all right. I’m sure they’ll find a way to get it back,'” Brady said.
Evans had a look of utter disbelief caught on camera when the announcement came through that it was Brady’s 600th touchdown.
Mike Evans realizing he gave away Tom Brady’s 600th TD ball is the best part of this game.
“I said, ‘You’re going to have to go give that guy two jerseys to get that ball back,’” Arians said about Evans after the game. “It was like, ‘Either give him two of Tom’s, but you need to get that ball back for him.’”
Bucs Fan Byron Kennedy Was Invited to Sunday’s Game
Byron Kennedy, who received the ball accidentally from Evans after the touchdown, just happened to get invited to the Bucs-Bears Week 6 game.
“Those were my buddy, Riley’s seats,” Kennedy said on the Rich Eisen Show on Thursday. “He has season tickets there. I was invited to the game. Glad I came.”
We’ve been talking about it all week and finally caught up Thursday with #GoBucs fan Byron Kennedy — you know him better as the dude in the sombrero who was given @TomBrady 600th TD ball by @MikeEvans13_:
“I looked around, was celebrating with the people around me, and as I looked back down at the field, Mike Evans was gesturing to get my attention, sprinting at me,” Kennedy said. “He jumps up into the stands, hands me the ball, and I get to slap his shoulder pads, and scream ‘Big Mike.’ And then, I got the ball.”
Kennedy ultimately gave the ball back after a Bucs staff member negotiated with thim.
“I think I did the right thing,” Kennedy saidTMZ Sports. “I’m happy Tom has it.”
“It’s all working out pretty well,” Kennedy added.
The Bucs gifted him with his own season tickets this year and next in addition to signed jerseys, a helmet, cleats, and $1,000 for use at the team store. Brady and Gronkowski threw in some cryptocurrency for him, too.