Mike Evans Pays Tribute to Former Buccaneers’ QB for Stellar Rookie Performance in 2014
It's been a good offseason for Mike Evans. Not only did the Buccaneers' all-time leading receiver sign a two-year contract worth over $20 million annually to stay in Tampa Bay, but he's also received a significant amount of national recognition in the process.
With what was a relatively underwhelming free agency class of wide receivers in 2024, Evans was the headliner. As such, many fanbases and organizations — primarily those seeking a difference-maker at the WR position — spent at least a little bit of time fantasizing about the prospect of adding a Mike Evans to their football team.
But when it was all said and done, the Buccaneers were in the driver's seat. By re-signing Evans prior to the legal tampering period, the Bucs not only ensured the greatest player in franchise history would remain with the team for the foreseeable future, but they simultaneously squashed the hopes of any competing teams who had ambitions of adding a bonafide superstar to their wide receiver room.
After the news broke, Mike Evans appreciation posts flooded the internet. This included a recent post by the NFL's official instagram account, which paid homage to Evans by revisiting one of his most prolific performances from his rookie year in the league, way back in 2014.
"In Week 11 of the 2014 season, a rookie Mike Evans had 7 receptions, 209 yards, and 2 TDs in a W 🔥". The post included a series of highlights from that game, including both touchdown receptions.
In true Mike Evans fashion, when he saw the post, he commented, but without acknowledging his own accolades. Instead, Evans chose to tag his quarterback from that season, Josh McCown, with a salute emoji, 🫡. This was Evans' way of saying 'hey NFL, let's not forget about the guy throwing me those passes!'.
No matter who has been under center, what players surrounded him on the roster, or who was calling the plays on offense, Mike Evans has always been consistent. Not just with his prolific performance on the field, but in the ways he has conducted himself as a teammate. Evans has always been willing to sacrifice his own success in order to benefit the team as a whole, while at the same time, lifting up those around him.
Mike Evans' humble response to this tribute post by the NFL is not surprising to anyone that knows him. If anything, it's the perfect representation of the type of person and teammate that he is.
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