They often say age is just a number, but as players get older in the NFL, their abilities improve and can be extremely impressive. Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans continues to be one of the best players not only at his position but in the entire league. Evans turned 30 before the start of last season and put up some of his best numbers in years. This record also puts him on a unique list before he turns 31 next month.
Mike Evans ranked among top players over 30
in Recent articles from the 33rd team Jeff Diamond ranked the top 20 players over the age of 30 heading into the 2024 NFL season. Mike Evans finally makes it into the top 10 list, but his age is showing. Evans is ranked 6th overall, with only Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Tyreek Hill and Chris Jones ranked higher than him. Here’s what happened:
Mike Evans, in his 10th season with the Buccaneers since joining the team as a first-round draft pick in 2014, was tied for the NFL lead with 13 receiving touchdowns last season.
Evans recorded his 10th consecutive season with at least 1,000 receiving yards, the first season of his NFL career, and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl and second team All-Pro for the second year in a row.
Evans helped Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield have a career resurgence and lead the team to another division championship season.
For Mike Evans, that’s a pretty accurate analysis, as he tied with Hill for the league lead in rushing touchdowns, and his 1,255 receiving yards last season were the third-highest of his career and his most since he rushed for a career-high 1,524 yards in 2018.
Mike Evans still has a lot to play for
A big reason Evans has been able to win so many important accolades is because of how much he’s worked on staying strong and healthy in the offseason so he can play at a high level come season time, which is why there shouldn’t be as much fear of Mike Evans slowing down as there are other players out there.
Mike Evans Continue playing He’s already won one Super Bowl but is hungry for more, and although he’s been selected to the All-Pro second team twice, he’s never been selected to the first team, which would certainly add to his Hall of Fame resume.
A key part of Evans’ resume is that he has had 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons since starting his career. If he extends his record and reaches 1,000 again this season, he will tie Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with 11, a run that Rice began in his second year in the NFL.
Mike Evans holds just about every Buccaneers franchise record imaginable, but there are two more he can break. Currently, former Buccaneer Keyshawn Johnson holds Tampa Bay’s regular season catch record with 106 in 2001. Evans’ teammate Chris Godwin is second in 2022 with 104 regular season receptions, but Godwin had 10 more receptions in the Buccaneers’ only playoff game that season, bringing his total to 114. This is the most total catches in a season by a Buccaneers player ever. It’ll take quite an accomplishment, but it’s just another moment Evans can aim for this season.
Another season of high-level production is a given for Evans, and with new offensive coordinator Liam Cohen under his belt, there’s bound to be a concrete plan in place to get Evans the ball more often. Any Buccaneers fan would agree.