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mike evans He is the most successful offensive player in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ nearly 50-year history, and is almost certainly destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, his Buccaneer story is still nowhere near complete.
On Monday, Evans and the Buccaneers began a new chapter together, agreeing to a two-year deal that keeps the five-time Pro Bowl receiver with the only NFL franchise he’s ever known. The deal is the Buccaneers’ first big step in keeping together the core that won the team’s third straight NFC South title in 2023, and comes just over a week before Evans could have tested the free agent market for first time in his illustrious professional career.
Originally selected in the first round (seventh overall) in 2014, Evans has maintained an elite level of play in a manner unprecedented in NFL history. He is the first player in league annals to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in each of the first 10 seasons of his career, a record four years ahead of Randy Moss in second place. That included a 2023 campaign that ranks among his best, as he caught 79 passes for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns. Evans tied for the league lead in touchdown receptions and ranked ninth in receiving yards, and his 15.9 yards per catch was his highest mark since 2019.
Evans put up big numbers in 2023 while working with a new quarterback, as the Buccaneers signed former No. 1 overall draft pick Baker Mayfield following Tom Brady’s retirement. Mayfield and Evans quickly formed a very productive chemistry and the Bucs were clearly motivated to keep their offensive core intact in 2024. Mayfield is also a pending unrestricted free agent, but both he and the team have indicated a desire to extend their relationship.
Evans is the Buccaneers’ all-time leader in receptions (762), receiving yards (11,680), touchdown receptions (94), total touchdowns (95) and 100-yard receiving games (36). He ranks second in points scored (578), just 14 points behind record holder Martin Gramatica, and is tenth in games played (154) and fifth in games started (153). In nine postseason games, he has totaled 45 receptions for 709 yards, five touchdowns and four 100-yard receiving games.
Evans’ Hall of Fame credentials are evident in his rise up the NFL’s all-time receiver lists. His 94 touchdown receptions currently rank 13th in league history and second among active players behind Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders (95). With six more touchdowns in 2024, he could become just the 11th player in NFL annals to reach the 100 touchdown mark. He ranks 33rd in league history in receiving yards and another 1,000-yard season would put him within striking distance of the top 20.
Evans has joined a trio of Hall of Famers – Moss, Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison – as the only players to surpass 11,000 receiving yards and 90 touchdowns in their first 10 seasons. Evans’ total of 10 1,000-yard receiving seasons is tied for the second-most in NFL history, matching Moss’s total and trailing only the 14 recorded by Jerry Rice. His streak of 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at any point in a player’s career is just one shy of the record of 11 set by Rice.
This is the third multi-year contract Evans has signed with the Buccaneers and expands the possibility of him playing his entire career in Tampa. His original rookie contract covered five seasons, but before the start of his fifth team option year he signed a new five-year extension that ran through last season. He also agreed to multiple restructures along the way to create cap space. He is now set to become the first catcher and eighth player in Buccaneers history to play at least 11 seasons with the team.
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