Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans gave a surprising answer when asked about his favorite young pass catchers. Unlike many positions on the football field, the receiver position seems to have a lifespan. Wideouts in their early to mid-30s are considered the elder statesmen of the position.
Despite entering his 12th season, Evans still keeps pace with athletes who idolized him when they played youth football. Now, the veteran discloses his thoughts on the position in the modern age.
Bucs WR Mike Evans Shares Which Wideout Plays Better Than Him
By nature, wide receivers are stereotypically self-involved. In the minds of some, the offense and the world revolve around them. However, with time comes perspective. Evans, future Hall of Fame inductee, knows the game.
11 straight 1,000-yard seasons and 105 receiving touchdowns, along with a Super Bowl ring, signify that he knows the game better than most. With that said, Fox Sports writer Greg Auman asked the 31-year-old his thoughts on younger wideouts. The six-time Pro Bowler did not disappoint.
“Ja’Marr Chase,” Evans said. “He’s a guy where if you said he was better than me–I don’t think anybody’s better than me, but if you said him, I would understand. So Ja’Marr, Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins, Drake London.”
It takes an exceptional amount of self-awareness to entertain the thought of a player actually being better. Now, while Evans did add more qualifiers than a weekend golf tournament, Chase remains his choice. Looking at the numbers, is Chase better than the Tampa Bay standout currently? Fansided’s Braden Holecek offers this opinion.
MIKE. EVANS.
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>📺: #WASvsTB on FOX
>📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/P3WxOCrinb— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Chase is faster but not a better vertical option, averaging just 13.7 yards per catch, as opposed to Evans’ 15.2. In addition, Chase averages ten drops per season to Evans’s six. Some of those drops could sit at the feet of awful blocking, which leads to throws that lack rhythm, throwing the receiver for a loop. However, when the former LSU product gets a step, he can score.
JAMARR CHASE AGAIN 😭😭😭
HE HAS 238 YARDS 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/YlTJTFeCMZ
— Max Loeb (@loebsleads) November 8, 2024
In order for Chase to surpass Evans, he needs to accomplish a laundry list of tasks. First, however many seasons that Evans ends his consecutive 1,000-yard streak at, the Bengals wideout must match it. Next, surpassing his number of receiving touchdowns. Lastly, he needs to play on a Super Bowl winning team.
Granted, football is a team game, and no one person does everything in the course of winning a championship. However, many of the best wide receivers’ trophy cases lack a ring. Chase needs to secure one before entering the conversation.
At this point, Chase is the younger player with a lot of football left. Evans, by the sheer fact that he caught passes from Mike Glennon, Josh McCown and Jameis Winston, means that for his style, he was able to excel regardless of who was throwing him the ball. On the other hand, outside of injury, most of Chase’s targets flew from Joe Burrow’s hands. With years of life, Chase can overshadow Evans, but how long does this play out, and can he maintain the same levels of great play?