Despite various coordinators, quarterbacks under center, offensive systems and schemes over the years in Tampa Bay, wide receiver Mike Evans has been the unaltered force that prevails. He has been the constant in an ever-changing profession. Evans has cemented his place among the league's esteemed at the position and he will one day be immortalized in Canton. The physical wideout is adept at executing back-shoulder catches on fades and creates subtle separation. His climb-the-ladder skills jump off the tape over the years, as does his efficiency on post and go routes.
In 2024, Evans extended his historic streak of 1,000-yard receiving seasons to 11 – every season of his storied career – finishing with 74 receptions for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. In the process, he tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history (11) and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (10) for the second-most total 1,000-yard seasons in league annals, trailing only Rice (14). It marked Evans' sixth season with 1,000-plus receiving yards and 10-plus receiving touchdowns – the fifth-most such seasons in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers Rice (9), Marvin Harrison (8), Moss (8) and Terrell Owens (8).
Across his 11 seasons with Tampa Bay, Evans has appeared in 168 career games, making 167 starts, and the high-point specialist has amassed 836 receptions for 12,684 receiving yards and 105 receiving touchdowns. All-time in NFL history, Evans ranks ninth in receiving touchdowns, 24th in receiving yards and 35th in receptions. Evans is one of four players with 12,000-plus receiving yards and 100-plus touchdown receptions through 11 career seasons, along with a trio of Hall of Famers in Harrison, Moss and Rice. Evans' 105 touchdown receptions rank fifth and his 12,684 receiving yards stand sixth among all NFL players through their first 11 seasons. Evans remains Tampa Bay's all-time leader in points scored (644), receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, total touchdowns (106) and scrimmage yards (12,694).
Evans is one-of-one – the only receiver in NFL record books with 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons. He sets the standard, encapsulating greatness on and off the field.
"Every draft, we like to think that the first pick that we take kind of sets the tone for the draft class," said General Manager Jason Licht. "When the Glazer family hired me, it was my first time being a GM and there were a lot of things that I did wrong that first year [but] there was one thing that I did right and it was Mike. It made up for a lot of those other things. He's the epitome of what you want in a draft pick. He set the standard. Every year you want the first pick to set the standard for the class and Mike set the standard for me. I've been chasing that standard with my staff every year. Because of that, we've had some success and we won a Super Bowl and we're in position to chase another one and compete for another one and win another one because of Mike. That's what Mike has meant to me."
