Mike Evans has made a significant mark in NFL history this past weekend. In Week 18 of the regular season, Evans made a reception with under a minute to go in the game to tie him with Jerry Rice's record for the most consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
The belief of Evans reaching the milestone this year was in extreme doubt as he was sidelined for three games as a result of a Week 7 knee injury he sustained against the Baltimore Ravens. Evans would proceed to return following the Week 11 Bye and keep his foot on the throttle averaging 95.6 receiving yards/game for the rest of the season.
In addition to breaking the record, Evans received a mountainous 3 million dollars in contract incentives for reaching the 1k mark and was the final play to clinch the Buccaneers the NFC South in their 27-19 victory against divisional rival, New Orleans Saints. By winning this game, the Buccaneers clinch five straight playoff berths, which is the longest active streak among any team, as well as being the NFC South Champions for the fourth year in a row.
Evans' leadership has allowed for a smooth transition from the Brady Era to what could be an even more promising one in the Mayfield Era. Tampa Bay is lined up to host the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card Round Sunday, January 12th at 8pm.
