Wide receiver Mike Evans signed a new contract with the Buccaneers this offseason and the deal guaranteed he would be back in Tampa for the 11th straight season.
It also set him up for an opportunity to post his 11th-straight season with 1,000 receiving yards for the team. Only one player has opened his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons, so Evans will be trying to tie Jerry Rice on that front.
Given Rice’s place in NFL history, it was not surprising to hear Evans say at a Wednesday press conference that matching Rice’s feat is something that he has been thinking about.
“I don’t, like, list off things, but that’s one of them that’s in the back of my mind because everybody’s talking about it,” Evans said. “That’s been a record around for how many years now? Over 20 years? So, that’s something I definitely want to accomplish, and just help the team win ball games and be better than we were last year.”
Evans has shown no signs of slowing down and he expressed excitement about the offensive approach the team will take with new coordinator Liam Coen this season, so he should make a strong run at tying Rice’s mark as long as he stays healthy.