There are some players where they’re sitting at perhaps 925 yards entering the final week of the season, and you wonder if they care much about reaching the 1,000-yard mark. Mike Evans looks like one who cares.
Evans has gone over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first nine seasons, and he admits he’d love to do it twice more, tying Jerry Rice’s all-time record.
“I think about it ,” Evans said in an interview with Ari Alexander of KPRC (at a youth football camp). “It’s right there, so I’m going to definitely try to get that. I’m already one of one right now. I hope I can pass the great Jerry Rice and his record. Obviously nobody will pass his records — probably like ever total. But that 1,000-yard streak record would be cool to have.”
As things currently stand, Evans is one of only three players to reach 1,000 receiving yards nine times in a row. Rice did it 11 times in a row, while Tim Brown pulled it off nine times in a row.
Three other players have reach 1,000 yards eight seasons in a row: Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter. Four others have gone seven straight, and one of those players is active (Travis Kelce).
Of the 18 players listed below, only six have been enshrined in Canton: Rice, Brown, Harrison, Carter, Moss and Calvin Johnson.
| CONSECUTIVE 1,000-YARD SEASONS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Seasons | Player | No |
| 1986-96 | Jerry Rice, S.F. | 11 |
| 1993-01 | Tim Brown, Rdrs. | 9 |
| 2014-22 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 9 |
| 2000-07 | Torry Holt, St.L. | 8 |
| 1999-06 | Marvin Harrison, Ind. | 8 |
| 1993-00 | Cris Carter, Min. | 8 |
| 2016-22 | • Travis Kelce, K.C. | 7 |
| 2007-13 | Brandon Marshall, Den.-Mia.-Chi. | 7 |
| 2004-10 | Reggie Wayne, Ind. | 7 |
| 1996-02 | Jimmy Smith, Jac. | 7 |
| 2014-19 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 6 |
| 2013-18 | Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 6 |
| 2010-15 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 6 |
| 2007-12 | Roddy White, Atl. | 6 |
| 2004-09 | Donald Driver, G.B. | 6 |
| 2002-07 | Chad Johnson, Cin. | 6 |
| 1998-03 | Randy Moss, Min. | 6 |
| 1997-02 | Rod Smith, Den. | 6 |
The degree of difficulty for Evans to reach 1,000 this year, of course, has been raised substantial. The Bucs have passed more than anybody in recent seasons, but this year they’re transitioning to some combination of Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask at quarterback.
Tampa Bay has ranked 4th, 1st and 6th in passing the last three years, but I don’t think there’s much chance of them avoiding having a bottom-10 passing offense this year.
—Ian Allan