A Year-By-Year Breakdown of Mike Evans' Football Career

Texas A&M Aggies wideout Mike Evans has consistently been one of the NFL's best receivers since stepping into the pros back in 2014.

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Fans celebrate after a touchdown by Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It's no secret how valuable wide receiver Mike Evans has been to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or to the Texas A&M Aggies in the two years that he donned Maroon and White.

Currently chasing his 11th consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, which would tie him with Jerry Rice for the NFL record, Evans seemingly has a lock on a golden jacket and bust of himself already made in Canton, Ohio in the Football Hall of Fame.

But exactly how consistent has Evans been in his football career?

It all starts at Ball High School in Galveston, Texas where Evans only played football his senior year of high school. There he recorded 25 receptions for 648 yards and seven touchdowns, which earned him second-team District 24-4A honors.

Due to him only playing the sole year on the gridiron, Evans was not a hot recruit amongst college football programs, but his experience in track and field and his 6'5 stature got the attention of a few schools.

Eventually, Evans signed with Texas A&M, who recruited him as a wide receiver.

Nov 9, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) and wide receiver Mike Evans (13) before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-Imagn Images / Thomas Campbell-Imagn Images

After being redshirted his freshman year in 2011, Mike Evans made his presence felt during the 2012 season, highlighting himself as Johnny Manziel's favorite target during his Heisman-winning season. Evans and Manziel connected 82 times for 1,105 yards and five touchdowns, which was enough for the SEC coaches to name Evans to the freshman All-SEC team.

Evans' sophomore year in 2013 saw him set a school record for receiving yards in a game when he caught seven passes for 279 yards against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in a 49-42 loss. The record would stand for four games until Evans caught 11 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns in another close loss to Auburn, 45-41. Evans finished the season with 69 receptions for 1,394 yards and 12 touchdowns and was named to the All-SEC first team as well as a consensus All-American.

In January 2014, Evans declared for the NFL draft and was named the top wide receiver prospect by Sports Illustrated.

Evans was selected seventh overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the second receiver taken after Clemson's Sammy Watkins was taken fourth overall by the Buffalo Bills.

In Evans' debut against the Carolina Panthers, he logged five receptions for 37 yards. He would catch his first touchdown three weeks later on a seven-yard pass from Mike Glennon, one of four receptions for 65 yards in a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. His biggest game of his rookie campaign came during a 27-7 win over Washington, catching seven passes for 209 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Evans' rookie season saw him catch 68 passes for 1,051 yards and 12 touchdowns, which was tied for fourth in the league. Despite setting rookie receiving records for both Tampa Bay and the NFL, Evans barely missed out on NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year to fellow SEC receiver and New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr.

However, he was still named to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team.

Evans' 2015 season saw him pick up where he left off in 2014, catching 74 passes for 1,206 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2016, Evans was named to his first career Pro Bowl after a career-high 96 receptions for 1,321 yards and 12 touchdowns and was also named a second-team NFL All-Pro alongside Beckham Jr.

Evans also made a catch against the Atlanta Falcons that some considered the "catch of the year," catching a high sideline pass one-handed and enduring hard helmet-to-helmet contact and still holding onto the ball while staying in bounds.

The 2017 season almost saw Evans' 1,000-yard streak come to an end, but after five catches for 55 yards in the season finale, he finished with 1,001 yards and five touchdowns on a struggling Buccaneers team.

In 2018, he saw a career-high in receiving yards, with 1,524 to go along with 86 catches and nine total touchdowns. Evans was named to his second-career Pro Bowl following the impressive season.

Despite missing the last three games of the 2019 campaign, Evans still clocked in 67 receptions for 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns and was again named to the Pro Bowl, his third selection.

The 2020 season saw Evans get a major upgrade at quarterback as Tom Brady made the move from the New England Patriots down south to Tampa Bay. Evans had been dealing with subpar quarterback play for the majority of his career, making his consistency all the more attention-grabbing.4

Evans took full advantage of having the Canton-bound signal-caller throwing him passes, finishing with 70 catches, 1,006 yards, and 13 touchdowns. His seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season saw him pass Randy Moss for most-consecutive seasons with as many yards.

With Brady's leadership and Evans and Chris Godwin's abilities, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers laid the hammer down on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, 31-9, to give Evans his first-ever championship, the Buccaneers' first since 2002, and Brady's record seventh as a player.

Oct 2, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) and wide receiver Mike Evans (13) talk against the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

In 2021, the chemistry between Brady and Evans grew even stronger, especially in the red zone. Evans would set a Tampa Bay record with 14 receiving touchdowns to go along with 74 catches and 1,035 yards, earning him career Pro Bowl number four.

The Buccaneers would again make it to the playoffs but would lose in the Divisional Round 30-27 to Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams, who would go on to win the Super Bowl.

In 2022, in what would be Brady's final NFL season, Evans recorded 77 catches, 1,124 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and reached the 10,000 career receiving yards mark in Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns.

Evans was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 17 after putting up 10 catches for 207 yards and a trio of touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.

The Buccaneers would make the playoffs for the third year in a row but fell to Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round.

After Brady's retirement in February 2023, former number one overall pick Baker Mayfield was signed on by Tampa Bay and also was quick to make a connection with Mike Evans, with 79 connections between the two with 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns for Evans, who tied with Tyreek Hill for the league lead in receiving touchdowns.

For the fourth year in a row, the Buccaneers clinched a playoff spot, and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card, but came up short against the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.

Evans was named to his fifth career Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro second team for the second time in his career alongside A.J Brown, Brandon Aiyuk, and Puka Nacua.

And for 2024, despite a brief stint on the injured reserve list, Evans continues to hunt down his 11th consecutive season of 1,000 yards receiving, currently sitting at 749 after a nine-catch, 159-yard, two-touchdown performance this past Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.

To this day, Evans is the Buccaneers' all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, points scored, and countless other records.

Not a bad career for someone who only started playing during their senior year of high school.

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