Losing Mike Evans Goes Beyond The Field

For eleven seasons, MIke Evans has been the constant. He and Lavonte David, for more than a decade, have been the guys that have risen above and become more than just players. They’ve become icons. They’re legends not just in the NFL but more importantly in the city of Tampa. Evans suffering a broken clavicle against the Lions Monday night is going to have lingering effects that go far beyond what he does on the field. The streak, breaking Jerry Rice’s record – that’s gone. That’s over. And for it to end the way it did makes it that much more difficult to accept – but it’s what he does off of the field that this team is going to miss. It’s the leadership, the comradery, and the selflessness that has allowed other receivers elevate their level of play not in spite of Evans, but because of him. We haven’t seen a more selfless superstar – especially at the receiver position – in the league since Evans was drafted outside of Larry Fitzgerald. Evans has never blown up on the sideline because he isn’t getting the ball. He’s never trashed his coaches, teammates, quarterback, game plan, or anything because he feels like he isn’t getting enough targets. He’s the most anti-diva receiver you could imagine. He finds success when his teammates are succeeding.

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It’s been that way with Chris Godwin for years. When Tom Brady walked in the door, bringing Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown with him, you never heard a peep about his targets going down. When one guy eats, they all eat. Emeka Egbuka was a first round pick and Evans talked about how exciting it was. He talked about another draft pick, Tez Johnson, as being “his guy.” Two players coming into the locker room that could take away from his statline and all he could do was build them up. That’s what this team is going to miss. They’ve already proven they could produce yards and points without him this season – but now is a time when you see what this team is really about. Are they going to sulk and hang their heads over losing Evans for most, if not all, of the season? Or are they going to rally to make sure that when he’s healthy, they’re still playing football and he has a team to come back to?

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This has been a team with the “next man up” mentality all year long because they’ve had to be. Now, this kind of blow to the team’s morale can make or break them. This team, despite the loss to Detroit, has felt like one that can accomplish something special, so this needs to be a galvanizing moment where the players go on the field and they win for Mike. Win so he can come back to something. So that this isn’t the lasting memory they, or the fans, have of him in 2025. But at 32 years old, you just hope that this isn’t the last we see of Mike Evans on a football field in a Buccaneers uniform.

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