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Jenna Laine
TAMPA, Fla. — If Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise scoring chief Mike Evans has his say, 2025 will pan out only a bit in a different way than 2024. Along with serving to his workforce earn a fourth straight NFC South title, he notched 1,000 receiving yards for the eleventh consecutive yr — matching a document set by Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Jerry Rice — however it got here on the ultimate play of the season.
“Hopefully I can do it … early,” Evans mentioned, flashing a smile and letting out a chuckle. The six-time Professional Bowler missed three video games with a hamstring harm final season — tied for his longest stretch of missed video games as he heads into Yr 12. Evans advised ESPN that it was one of the vital difficult hamstring accidents he has handled.
However now he will get his shot at sole possession of the document, and Rice gave him his blessing to take action. Rice has held the document since 1996, though that was in an period when the NFL performed solely 16 regular-season video games earlier than including a seventeenth in 2021.
Rice advised Evans in a function by The Gamers’ Tribune, “You recognize that I am pulling for you proper?”
Evans responded to Rice, “Which means extra to me than you might ever know, so I recognize that, O.G. You’re the authentic. … That is so surreal proper now. That is surreal for me that you already know who I’m.”
Evans already has the document for probably the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin a profession at 11 — Randy Moss is subsequent at six — however so far as probably the most 1,000-yard seasons in a profession, Evans broke a tie with Moss for second final season and sits behind Rice’s 14.
Rice and Evans had met briefly in 2018, however this was their first time sitting down for an in depth dialog. They talked store, discussing the nuances of route operating, together with the post-corner.
“You perfected simply route operating normally,” Evans mentioned. “However the post-corner is to me your greatest route, and I’ve discovered learn how to run that route due to you.”
Rice advised Evans, “You bought to have the ability to promote routes. You bought to make the opponent imagine your first minimize is basically the place you are going to get the ball.”
The 2 additionally mentioned how they’d go about making an attempt to defend the opposite and what sharing the document at the moment means to each of them.
“With the ability to sit down and discuss to the best receiver ever was fairly humbling,” Evans mirrored. “The issues he needed to say about me — it was a terrific second for me. … That is one other factor that was humbling about it — how he [received] me. He confirmed me love, in order that was actually cool.”
Evans, who turns 32 in August, is coming into the ultimate yr of his contract and has not indicated how for much longer he desires to proceed enjoying. Beforehand in 2023, he entered the season expressing dissatisfaction about not having a brand new contract, however his mindset is totally different this yr.
“I actually have not even thought of [the future],” Evans mentioned. “I simply thought of having a terrific yr this yr, and we’ll see what occurs.”
