Buccaneers’ Mike Evans has sights set on one of Jerry Rice’s records

Mike Evans has a chance to inch closer to history in 2023.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver has recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the first nine seasons of his NFL career. While that might be expected for one of the game’s top receivers, Evans is the only player in NFL history to record 1,000-yard seasons in the first nine years of their career. He’s also only the seventh receiver to record that many consecutive seasons at any point in a career.

As he sits in a three-way tie for the third-most consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards, Evans is two seasons short of the overall record. That is held by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who accomplished the feat in 11 straight seasons from 1986-1996. Rice, who had 14 total 1,000-yard seasons over the course of his 20-year career, started his record streak in his second NFL season.

Rice is the NFL’s all-time receiving leader by a significant margin, his 22,895 career yards well ahead of Larry Fitzgerald’s total of 17,492. So Evans, who is currently 45th all-time with 10,425 yards, knows that any receiving record held by the legend is going to sit at a high bar, and he admitted that this is one that he’s striving to break.

“I think about. It’s right there, so I’m gonna definitely try to go get that,” Evans told KPRC 2 Houston’s Ari Alexander during his football camp in Texas earlier this week. “I’m already one of one right now. I hope I can pass the great Jerry Rice and his record. Obviously, nobody will pass his records probably, like ever, total. But that 1,000-yard streak record would be cool to have.”

Evans will have a chance to tie Randy Moss for the second-most consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards this season. With Tom Brady out of Tampa Bay, some might think that Evans might not be able to make it to that mark this season — Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask are competing for the starting job.

But Evans has only played three of his nine seasons with Brady at quarterback. And prior to Brady, he wasn’t catching passes from Hall of Fame quarterbacks, either, as Jameis Winston was the quarterback for much of the time prior to Brady’s arrival in 2020. In fact, Evans’ three highest receiving yard seasons came without Brady.

One thing that could be in Evans’ favor? He has been really consistent at staying healthy, playing in at least 15 games in every season of his career.

Evans thinks that’s all he needs to extend his streak to 10 in 2023.

“I should get 1,000 yards if I’m healthy. Every year,” Evans said. “It ain’t that. I want to be one of the tops in the league. I want to be winning games. That’s what I care about.”

As Evans says he’s focused on winning games this upcoming season, the Buccaneers will have a bit of a tough task to extend their playoff streak to four seasons in 2023. Of course, Brady left, but the Buccaneers also had a losing record en route to winning the NFC South last season.

Buccaneers sign Baker Mayfield to one-year deal

Still, Evans has high hopes for 2023. And he has high hopes for whoever is throwing him the ball, too.

“Kyle’s improved a lot,” Evans said. “I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen from Baker. Whoever the quarterback will be, I’m positive they’re going to make the right choice and we’re going to win some games.”

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