Originally named the first alternate for the 2025 Pro Bowl game, Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans will head to Orlando to replace Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, the league announced Monday morning.
Bucks WR Mike Evans – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
This makes Evans a six-time Pro Bowler, who will join teammates Tristan Wirfs and Vita Vea in the Pro Bowl game after they were named to the initial roster in early January. He will be participating.
With his sixth Pro Bowl appearance, Evans is tied with Mike Alstott for the most offensive players in franchise history. He currently holds the most total by a Buccaneer behind Derrick Brooks (11) and Warren Sapp (seven).
Evans opted not to participate in last year’s Pro Bowl game, but returned to the NFC roster this year. He reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the 11th consecutive season, tying an NFL record.
Mike Evans overcame a lot to reach his sixth Pro Bowl.
Considering his slow start to the 2024 season and the fact that he missed 3 1/2 games with a midseason hamstring injury, it would be quite a feat for Mike Evans to earn another Pro Bowl berth. .
Before the injury, Evans had 26 catches for 335 yards and six touchdowns. After returning in Week 12, he led the league with 669 receiving yards the rest of the way. It reached its climax this year. His 9-yard catch with seconds left in the Bucs’ win over the Saints in Week 18 marked the 11th consecutive year he has surpassed 1,000 yards, tying Jerry Rice’s NFL record. record.
Bucks WR Mike Evans – Photo courtesy of USA Today
It required a pretty big performance. Evans to regain his position Aiming for another 1,000 yard season. He gained 118 yards in an overtime win over Carolina in Week 13, 159 yards in a road win against the Chargers in Week 15, and was surprisingly consistent with 68, 69, 69, and 97 yards in the remaining five games. I left a mark. and 89 yards.
Evans scored five more touchdowns down the stretch and finished the season with 11 touchdowns. This marks the sixth double-digit receiving touchdown in his 11-year career. This is the fourth time in the past five years.
Not to mention, Evans’ 11 receiving touchdowns tied him for fourth in the league with Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.
Mike Evans shows no signs of slowing down.
When Mike Evans was set to hit free agency last offseason, there was a brief moment when the impossible seemed possible and that he might never finish his career with the Bucks. Thankfully for Tampa Bay, Evans and Buccaneer fans, the No. 7 overall pick in 2014 has decided that staying with the team that drafted him is what he wants to do.
Bucks WR Mike Evans Photo courtesy of USA Today
Beyond the fact that Evans is a legend on the team, a fan favorite, and a top-notch personality, general manager Jason Licht and his front office staff gave the then-30-year-old a two-year, $41 contract. One of the reasons Evans felt comfortable paying the signing bonus, a $1 million contract with $29 million guaranteed, was that he showed no signs of slowing down even in his age-30 season.
The deal paid off well in 2024, as Evans showed no signs of slowing down in his age-31 season. He may have missed three and a half games, but he finished with 74 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns in the 13.5 games he played. Not only that, but Evans totaled seven catches for 92 yards and one touchdown on seven targets in the NFC Wild Card round against the Commanders.
The 31-year-old’s performance in 2024 could even put the Bucks in a position to want to sign him to an extension this offseason. Not only would that lock him up for another year beyond 2025, but it would also improve the team’s cap situation. Pewter Report’s Josh Quaipo outlines this.
But for now, it’s worth taking the time to appreciate the fact that Mike Evans is a six-time Pro Bowler and will be joining both Tristan Wirfs and Vita Bear in Orlando for the 2025 Pro Bowl game. There will be.
