In the final regular season of the 2024 season, Mike Evans found himself at the center of a memorable moment in Buccaneers history when he caught a 9-yard pass to extend his 1,000-yard season streak to the 11th.
He won’t be flirting with turning 12 in 2025. A concussion, hamstring injury and broken bones have limited Evans to five games this season, making the 1,000-yard mark out of reach with three weeks to go.
It’s a reality Evans knew was coming for some time.
“I broke my collarbone and got the concussion all at once and I knew it was over,” Evans said in his row through the Buccaneers’ Players’ Table show. “It’s just one of those things that wasn’t meant to be, and that’s OK, and I’m cool with it. I tied with Jerry Rice, one of the best, if not the best players ever, so that’s enough for me. I just want to help my team get to the playoffs now.”
“50 seasons of Buccaneers history and I’m in the history books as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer tied with Jerry Rice. It’s unbelievable and you can’t even think of it as a kid to pull this off or to dream of it. So, I’ve been blessed to be a staple of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
With his consecutive 1,000-yard receiving streak on the line and less than a minute to play in Tampa Bay’s Week 18 win over New Orleans last season, Baker found Mayfield Evans for a completion that the wide receiver took another 7 yards to clear the stage, tying Rice for the most such consecutive seasons in James NFL history and sending French fans into the NFL.
It was a moment Bucs fans will cherish for decades to come, cementing Evans as one of the all-time greats and setting him on his way to Canton. His road has been much rockier in 2025, but his return to action in Week 15 proved he still has plenty of juice and the ability to make big plays that the Buccaneers have lacked without him.
Tampa Bay will need it. The Buccaneers have lost five of their last six games, opening the door for Carolina to climb back into the NFC South race with three weeks left in the campaign.