Buccaneers' Mike Evans addresses painful end to historic streak

At the start of the 2025 campaign, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice were the only players in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards for a minimum of 11 seasons in a row.

Evans' streak won't extend to 12 campaigns after he suffered a broken collarbone back on Oct. 20. While Evans returned to action in Week 15, he has only accumulated 272 receiving yards this season. 

When Mike Evans knew his streak was over

"I broke my collarbone and had the concussion in one, and I knew it was over," Evans said about his streak during a recent appearance on the Buccaneers' "Players' Table" show, per Nick Shook of the NFL's website. "It is just one of those things that it wasn't meant to be, and that is OK, and I am cool with that. I tied with Jerry Rice, one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest player ever, so that is enough for me. I just want to help my team get to the playoffs now."

The 7-7 Buccaneers need Evans to be at his best physically and mentally at this critical point of the season. This coming Sunday, Tampa Bay will play at the 7-7 Carolina Panthers with first place in the NFC South standings on the line. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Buccaneers as three-point favorites for that game. 

"50 seasons of Buccaneers history, and I am in the history books as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer tied with Jerry Rice," Evans added. "That is amazing, and you cannot even think of that as a kid to draw that up or to dream about that. So, I have been blessed to be a staple of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."

Is Mike Evans thinking about retirement?

Late this past summer, Evans suggested he could retire following this season. The 32-year-old is in a contract year and could be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

"I haven’t really even thought about it, honestly," Evans said about his future while speaking with reporters on Wednesday, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "I’m just going wait until the season is over. I’m just trying to focus as much as I can on the season. Obviously, we’re human, and we’ve got to think about the future. But I’ve really been locked in on helping this team make the playoffs."

Evans insisted he is "not that smart to be phrasing things in cryptic phrases." He also said he is "really trying to focus on this season and make the most out of it." Perhaps making the most of it will involve helping the Buccaneers return to the playoffs.