Buccaneers’ $155 Million ‘Ageless Wonder’ Lands On ESPN Top 10 List

When it comes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, we have all come to expect the unexpected at this point.

That’s why it shouldn’t have been a surprise that the 31-year-old future Pro Football Hall of Famer made ESPN’s annual list of the Top 10 NFL wide receivers as voted on by NFL executives and personnel.

Evans has proven to be an ageless wonder and true pro football anomaly. He was tied for the oldest player on the list with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who came in at No. 3. Evans was No. 8 in the 2024 rankings.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and 2024 Triple Crown winner Ja’Marr Chase took the No. 1 spot.

“As multiple coaches noted, Evans pushed through an 11th straight season with at least 1,000 yards — a streak tied with Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history — despite a bad hamstring costing him three games,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 16. “Evans also cut his drops from nine to four this past season. The Bucs have done a good job preserving Evans with 671 snaps in 14 games (48 per game).”

Evans is in the final year of a 2-year, $41 million contract extension he signed before the 2024 season. He will have approximately $155 million in career earnings following the 2025 season.

Evans Chasing More NFL History in 2025

As Evans tries to break Rice’s record with a 12th consecutive 1,000 yard season in 2025, he’ll have one very important person in his corner — Rice himself.

Rice told Evans “You know that I’m pulling for you, right?” in a conversation between the 2 legends posted on YouTube by The Players’ Tribune.

“Evans already has the record for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career at 11 — Randy Moss is next at six — but as far as the most 1,000-yard seasons in a career, Evans broke a tie with Moss for second last season and sits behind Rice’s 14,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on July 4. “Rice and Evans had met briefly in 2018, but this was their first time sitting down for an extensive conversation.”

Evans’ pursuit of tying Rice’s record in 2024 was symbolic of how the season went for the Buccaneers.

After Evans and fellow star wide receiver Chris Godwin were both hurt in a Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay saw its record drop to 4-6 before Evans returned to lead a late season surge that saw his team finish 10-7 and make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season by winning the NFC South Division.

Evans’ hopes of tying Rice seemed lost when Tampa Bay rookie running back Bucky Irving scored a touchdown with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter of a Week 18 game agains the New Orleans Saints, but the Buccaneers’ defense got the ball back to the offense with 44 seconds left and Evans 5 yards short of 1,000 yards.

Instead of just taking a knee, the Buccaneers ran one more play and got the ball to Evans on a 9-yard catch and run on a pass from Baker Mayfield to Evans, giving the 2-time NFL All-Pro 1,004 receiving yards on the season — and cashing in a $3 million bonus.