Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wide receiver Mike Evans demonstrated his impressive consistency as he passed the 1,000 yard receiving mark for the 10th straight season during Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
With the milestone, Evans is now behind Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Evans inched closer to the feat on a 75-yard catch and run from Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“I was tired, I went to the sideline, I had to throw up a bit, so I’m happy I earned that one,” Evans said following the game, according to ESPN. Evans would hit the mark officially on an 11-yard out route with 5:02 to go in the fourth quarter.
“That’s Mike’s deal. … I’ve seen Mike puke a bunch of times,” Bucs wide out Chris Godwin said. “We were like sledging through there, couldn’t get anything going, and that play sparked us — it was huge.”
“We knew before that last drive when he was about 4 or 6 yards away,” Mayfield said. “Everybody kept saying different numbers. So the first pass play, they probably would have had to double cover him for me to not throw to him.”
“It’s what you want as a kid,” Evans said. “That’s what we dream about. I’ve always dreamed about this, I’ve always been a huge fan of sports. I always said, ‘One day, I want to be one of those guys. There’s plenty of them. But I’m happy that I’m one of them. … It seems surreal at times, but I’m in the moment. So maybe when I’m long gone from the game, I’ll look back and really think about what I’ve done.”
Mayfield expanded on Evans’ impressive career during the postgame presser.
“I really don’t have words to describe what he just did in his career to accomplish that for [10] seasons in a row. And I’m pretty damn happy that I wasn’t the guy to break that streak to be honest with you. But more happy for Mike. That’s amazing. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, and nobody can take that away from him. … It’s truly special. It’s one of those things you’ll look back on and be able to cherish that moment, that you were a part of it.”
“I don’t know how much more you can say,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. “He’s been like this for 10 years now. Over 60 catches 10 years in a row. Over 1,000 yards 10 years in a row. You know he’s getting the ball and everybody’s trying to stop him, and he makes plays over and over. It’s a credit to him, his work ethic, the way he approaches the game. Unbelievable.”
Evans said he does think about Rice’s record of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and hopes to match it next season. Whether or not he does that as a Buc remains to be seen.
