TAMPA, Fla. — Heading into his 10th year in the NFL, Mike Evans still has a lot to give to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Not only did he say before Tuesday night's training camp session that he physically feels better now than he did when he was younger, but he also has even more hunger for playing football in Tampa Bay.
"Every year, the game changes. I remember when I was in college and Casey Hampton – who’s from my hometown of Galveston, Texas – I used to always talk to him because I was like the next guy up from Galveston to make it to the pros and he would tell me that the game would slow down like I would never believe," Evans said. "Each year, it happened. I swear the game slows down for me, I’m able to make adjustments during the game. It’s been cool. It comes with playing the game a lot and just getting that experience.”
The 29-year-old wide receiver has recorded 1,000-yard receptions every year since joining the franchise. Now, he's preparing for another 1,000-yard season, which would get him closer to breaking sports legend and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
Evans has reached the incredible benchmark nine consecutively times. He holds the record for most 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin an NFL career.
"I didn’t know what I needed [to get into the top 10 in receiving yards], but I knew I was close to getting to that. That means a lot to me," he said. "I’m a fan of the game, I always have been. I’ve respected the game and hopefully – God willing I stay healthy – I’ll get it done.”
Evans is currently tied for third in most 1,000-yard campaigns in an NFL career. Should he keep the streak going in 2023 and 2024, he will pass Randy Moss (10) for second-most and also match Rice's record.
To reach those numbers again, Evans will have to rely on either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask to help him out, both of whom are competing for the starting quarterback position and have been spoken highly of by Evans.
"I mean, they’ve both been having a really good camp. We’re all learning a new offense and it’s going to be much harder on quarterbacks, but they’re making some really good plays," he said. "They’re both really mobile, they both [have] really great arm talent. [They’re] really good, young players. They’re doing well right now. I’m looking forward to seeing who gets the job.”
Evans has been considered a team veteran for the past few years, and he admitted that the time from when he was a rookie to now has gone by fast.
He's the oldest wide receiver on the team and also one of the oldest players on the roster for that matter.
However, Evans is a person who always likes to focus on the positives. He believes he still has plenty of gas left in the tank and more prime years are ahead of him. But he also knows that he could not have been so successful in his career so far if it wasn't for the older players that he once played with giving him advice.
This is something he is trying to translate to the rookies or younger receivers on the team.
"Anytime a younger player wants advice, they [can] just come to ask me – my door is always open for them," Evans said. "I’m [really] down to Earth – you can ask most of the guys. I’m going to give it to them straight. A lot of the rookies are helping me out, too. They give me motivation. They’re young and they’ve got juice and seeing that motivates me even more.”
The 6-foot-5 Bucs captain is coming up on a contract year, but he said he has no worries about working things out with the organization to ensure he stays even longer with the team. Evans said he has the fans to thank for that.
"It’s no secret that I want to be a Buc for life. It’s rare for players to stay – especially this day and age – to stay on a team for as long as I have," Evans said. "I want to just finish here. Fans really look up to me and want to know me and have been following my career and things like that.
"Every time I’m at practice in training camp, somebody is giving me something or showing me a picture from nine or eight years ago – it’s cool to see things like that. It’s really humbling and it’s really an honor to have a great community like Tampa really rock with me and my family as they have.”
Tampa Bay will have a day off of training camp on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Fans can expect to see Evans and other players back at One Buc Place at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 3.