Buccaneers star Mike Evans passes NFL legend in the record books

Mike Evans reached a major milestone during Buccaneers-Falcons.

Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) celebrates after catching a pass for a two point conversion against the Carolina Panthers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is still going strong in his 12th NFL season, and as a result, he's due to break a few records throughout the rest of his career. He managed to break another one on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Evans has surpassed a few superstars on the statsheet throughout his career, and he surpassed another NFL great on Sunday — wide receiver Art Monk, who is revered by NFL historians and fans alike as one of the game's greatest receivers. Evans ended the game with 12,735 yards, which slotted him past Monk's 12,721 yards to bring him up to No. 23 on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list.

Mike Evans has surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Monk (12,721) for the 23rd-most receiving yards in NFL history.

— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) September 7, 2025

The achievement is a monumental one for Evans, but it won't be the last record he breaks this year.

Who will Evans surpass next on the all-time receiving yards list?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) reacts after a play against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Getting past Art Monk is an honor for Evans. Monk, most known for his time in Washington from 1980-93, is a two-time First Team All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion, so Evans is joining some great company by surpassing his total receiving yards number. But who is next on the list?

It'll start coming quick for Evans. He'll easily surpass Irving Fryar for No. 22 (12,785), potentially on Monday Night Football against the Houston Texans. Next up on the list is wideout DeAndre Hopkins, currently at exactly 13,000. Evans and Hopkins are both active receivers, so it'll be an arms race between the two until one of them retires. There are other targets to catch, though, as Evans will have the opportunity to surpass players like Jason Witten (13,046), Steve Largent (13,089), Andre Reed (13,198) and Torry Holt (13,382). If Evans nets yet another 1,000-yard season this year, he'll pass Holt and be at least No. 17 on the list at around 13,684 yards. His next target after that would be former NFC South rival Julio Jones, who sits at No. 16 with 13,703.

Evans has been a force to be reckoned with ever since entering the league, and his skillset, toughness and competitiveness all belong in the history books — and on Sunday in Atlanta, he started off a chain reaction that should find him well embedded in the NFL's history books once his career is all said and done.

READ MORE: Former Buccaneers All-Pro explains why Bucs are biggest threat to Eagles

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