Mike Evans became just the second player in NFL history to record 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, joining the legendary Jerry Rice, widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time, in that elite club.
The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers star has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in every season of his career. To date, he’s totaled 12,684 receiving yards and 105 touchdowns on 836 receptions—numbers that all but guarantee him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In a video shared Thursday, Evans and Rice met and exchanged praise, celebrating the remarkable milestone and mutual respect between two all-time greats.
Evans Shares Moment With Rice After Joining Exclusive Club
Rice and Evans met in a video for The Players’ Tribune titled Gridiron Originals: One Thousand. The former began by stating, “This is so surreal right now.” Evans added, “This is surreal for me that you know who I am, first off.”
Rice chimed in, “You know I’m pulling for you, right?”
The Buccaneers star noted, “That means more to me than you could ever know so I appreciate that, OG. One of the reasons why we’re here is because we share a record together. Most consecutive 1000-yard seasons. I would love to go pick your brain and learn from you.”
🚨🚨THIS IS BEAUTIFUL🚨🚨#NFL icon Jerry Rice and #Bucs WR Mike Evans got to meet and Jerry congratulated Mike on 11 straight 1K yard seasons.
Evans presented Rice with a special gift at the end & his reaction was heartwarming
🥹
(🎥: @LincolnMotorCo)pic.twitter.com/LiID1OKcfG
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 15, 2025
Rice discussed his success, stating:
“I wanted to be perfect. I wanted route running to be like a piece of art. If we called a slant five yards, I felt like I could go 95 yards. I’m trying to use my creativity and really drop six.”
Evans ended the video by gifting Rice with a pair of wide receiver gloves autographed by both that read “1000 Eleven Straight”. The two-time All-Pro also received a pair of the unique custom gloves.
Jerry Rice is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NFL history, regardless of position. He rewrote the league’s record books, and his staggering totals—1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, and 197 touchdowns—have stood untouched for over two decades since his final game.
To this day, no player has come close to challenging those marks.
While Mike Evans has joined Rice in the exclusive club of players with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, the Buccaneers star still has a long journey ahead if he approaches Rice’s legendary career numbers.
That said, even if Evans doesn’t reach those heights, his consistent production and longevity have him firmly on track for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
