The NFL has rarely seen players as consistently reliable and productive as Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A Buccaneer for life, he has made his career as the heart and soul of the team, with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, including inching across the finish line last year.
However, his production seems to have taken a major hit over the first two weeks of the 2025 season. Despite the excellence of the Tampa Bay offense, Evans has been slow to come into the flow.
What Happened to Mike Evans?
After a solid, if unspectacular, 51-yard outing to open the season against the Atlanta Falcons, fans may have been hoping for a more steadily productive outing from the veteran wide receiver.
However, in the first half, the six-time Pro Bowler tallied just 23 yards on three catches, falling behind rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka once again, who led the team with 29 yards and a touchdown.
#Buccaneers Mike Evans called for offensive pass interference. pic.twitter.com/5ZuGf4T5MO
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 15, 2025
He would have had a spectacular touchdown on the Buccaneers’ first offensive possession on a 19-yard reception. However, an offensive pass interference call signalled the end of that play, before Baker Mayfield eventually found Ryan Miller for the score.
Despite a slow start from the former Super Bowl champion, Tampa Bay finds itself holding a 14-10 lead going into the second half. Perhaps the offense is slowly adjusting to Evans taking on a lesser role on offense, particularly in the early parts of the regular season.
A ridiculous throw and catch, brought to you by Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans 🫡 pic.twitter.com/GlRkyjGJ7d
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 16, 2025
Last year, too, was a relatively quiet year for the Texas A&M legend, as he finished with the third-worst receiving yards total of his career, and barely squeaked past the 1,000-yard mark in the final game of the year.
Coming back to the game at hand, the third quarter saw Evans get 22 yards on a sublime play from both Mayfield and the pass catcher. However, a 38-yard missed field goal from Chase McLaughlin meant that the score remained unchanged going into the final period.
When the team needed him most, though, Evans came through. Facing a five-point deficit, thanks to an excellent punt return by Jaylin Noel, the Buccaneers had to make magic in the two-minute drill.
Going down the length of the field, Mayfield found his WR1 for an 11-yard reception that put them in 1st & Goal territory. Eventually, a Rachaad White run put Tampa Bay into the end zone, and gave them another nailbiting victory to open the season 2-0.
