Mike Evans‘ monster Sunday added up to a decade of a statistical splendor.
Evans surpassed 1,000 yards for the season in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 21-18 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, marking the 10th straight year to start his career in which he’s hit the benchmark.
“I don’t know what more you can say. He’s done this for 10 years now,” head coach Todd Bowles said of Evans. “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 everyone is trying to stop him, and he makes plays over and over. It’s a credit to him and his work ethic. The way he approaches the game, it’s unbelievable.”
Evans extended his unbelievable record, as Hall of Famer Randy Moss sits at second with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career.
“I’m happy we got the win, most importantly,” said Evans, who finished the game with seven catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. “I’m happy with the record, obviously. I had a lot of great quarterbacks and offensive coordinators who believed in me. So, I really appreciate them. Hopefully I can keep that streak going for however long my career goes.”
As Evans, who needed 150 yards in Week 13 to get to 1,000, has been stellar every year since entering the league in 2014, he’s tied Moss for the second-most 1,000-yard receiving seasons in a career and continues to close in on Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s record 14 in a career.
The 30-year-old Evans is also one 1,000-yard campaign away from tying Rice for the longest streak at any point in a player’s career, as the former San Francisco 49ers great hit the milestone mark for 11 years running from 1986-1996.
While Evans’ career has been marked by consistent excellence, his 2023 campaign has been under-the-radar outstanding, having built an instant chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
On an 11-yard reception in the fourth quarter Sunday, Evans crossed the 1,000-yard barrier once again, extending one of the greatest starts in NFL history and continuing to build a Hall of Fame argument.
