Mike Evans Was A Touchdown Monster
June 20th, 2026
Scoring machine.
Those who don’t think the Bucs will miss Mike Evans may want to check themselves.
No, Evans wasn’t great before he blew up a collarbone last season when he got tackled in Detroit (no flag). Evans didn’t return until December but when he was on the field, you can bet defenses were paying very close attention to him.
Only a fool of a defensive coordinator wouldn’t.
Nothing is better than points in the NFL. Nothing. And Evans was a scoring machine.
Since Evans was drafted by the Bucs in 2014, he averaged nine touchdowns a season. How many Bucs receivers didn’t even have nine touchdowns in their careers?
And this decade, only Davante Adams (73) has had more touchdowns than Evans (60).
So if anyone thinks the Bucs won’t miss Evans, think again.
June 20th, 2026 at 7:26 am
Who cares about some washup up 49er. have fun mired in 3rd place in your division
June 20th, 2026 at 7:52 am
Enough of Evans, David. Time to turn the page. I’ll applaud them when they’re inducted in the ROH. Until than, I’ve heard enough.
June 20th, 2026 at 7:54 am
When I say we won’t miss him Evans much, I’m comparing it to what I think he’s got left and what he’d be capable of contributing this year, not what he was five years ago.
June 20th, 2026 at 7:55 am
Best offensive Buc ever. Like it or not, he’ll always be a Buc and I’ll never forgive Bowles and Baker for chasing him away. Hes gonna ball out this season. And when he eventually retires and goes into the HoF, all the haters on this site will congratulate him.
June 20th, 2026 at 8:17 am
I loved the player but not the “kneeling” person so much. I would have traded him after he signed his last contract.
June 20th, 2026 at 8:24 am
Sure we’ll miss him, but we have Godwin, Mek and JMac. Dez and Hurst behind. We’re stacked at WR.
June 20th, 2026 at 8:38 am
“While we all loved Mike Evans and wore his # 13 jersey with pride, if we look at his actual production in 2025, it won’t be all that difficult for Hurst to replicate. ”
I think this quote sums it up nicely.
June 20th, 2026 at 8:53 am
The key word in the article’s title is “was”
Evans has moved on….we should do the same.
June 20th, 2026 at 8:58 am
Evans has moved on. We need to as well. I hope he gets one more ring as that is his desire. Can’t fault him for making a career move. The Bucs are in rebuild mode, well the defense anyway.
June 20th, 2026 at 9:28 am
Lots of his TDs were from inside the 3yrd line – with this offensive line we should be able to just run it in. The thing about having Mike is that he took on the other team’s best corner freeing up other receivers to do their thing against lesser corners…in zone, always an eye on #13…we scored game changing TDs in 2 separate games last year due to the safety cheating on an inside Evans route leaving Egbuka with single coverage and a TD.
Shanahan should be able design plays to free up Evans so he can his 1000 yards…I personally think Evans looked at that WR room and knew it was going to be tough to get his numbers. Great players leave their long time franchise all of the time. I can’t help to think that Evans dreamt of one day running out of the tunnel to a stadium packed with 95% of the home crowd going crazy (instead of Tampa’s 60/40)….or knowing the game is over when the other team has 3rd and 28.
He’ll be missed but not forgotten…
GO Bucs!!
June 20th, 2026 at 9:38 am
The two Joes are geniuses…
How do we continue to farm clicks off of a player who is long gone?
I love you guys and I respect the game and the player.
How many TDs did ME13 have in 2025? – 3
How many receiving yards did ME13 have in 2025? – 368
2026 ME13 = 2022 Julio Jones.
I’m going to keep saying it until the cows come home…
June 20th, 2026 at 9:42 am
2026 ME13 = 2022 Julio Jones.
2025 ME13 TDs = 3
2025 ME13 YDs = 367
Some of you folks are caught up in the nostalgia of yesteryear.
June 20th, 2026 at 9:48 am
I know this sounds extremely hard to believe, but I think that our transitioned from Mike Evans to Ted hurst will go smoothly. Jason Leicht knows his wide receivers.
June 20th, 2026 at 9:50 am
Some of you have no idea that we’re not just replacing production, we’re replacing a coverage manipulating threat.
Nobody is scared of Ted Hurst yet.
Egbuka struggled down the stretch, partly because he was played like a #1Wr and against CB1s not getting matchups against the 2nd/3rd CB, big difference in the level you’re trying to beat rep after rep.
Having Godwin back helps, but again we’re in an install year with an OC who’s been charged for the last two years prior to arriving here with being predictable.
We’ll see how well we can beat Man-1 and cover 3 soon enough. Mikes production didn’t fall off because he was bad, nor did Egbuka it fell off because we had the 20th ranked pass game in the NFL.
June 20th, 2026 at 9:55 am
Thank you, Joe. While we will sorely miss Evans, we have to suffer with the reason he left. Sad.
June 20th, 2026 at 10:07 am
Was
June 20th, 2026 at 10:27 am
I still can’t believe that the Glazers let it get as far gone as it has. They literally have gone over the rainbow and have sided with the wicked witch. I genuinely hope they feel the burn of their neglect and the incredibly Bad Judgement they continue to demonstrate.
If you’re looking for the, 8th, 10th, or worse, place finish then they (the Glazers) are the “neglectful parents” your looking for. Because once again, that’s the Very Best finish you’re gonna get this year or ANY year with Bozo leading the way. Of course I’m speaking of chasing the Lombardi. Not trying to crawl across (in pathetic “please may I have another” fashion) the worse “red headed step child” of a division in all of footballs finish line, and NOT the true goal of a professionally managed team, the CHIP… The LOMBARDI!
My have the temporary mighty have fallen to the level of a clown show. It’s the TRUTH! AND I’M NOT PLEASED!
Good luck Mike. The “Faithful Don’t like it.. BUT WE SURE UNDERSTAND WHY and CAN’T blame you”!
June 20th, 2026 at 10:51 am
Seriously STFU about Mike Evans until he retires he is the enemy now. Hope he has his worst season ever and drops multiple balls a game.
June 20th, 2026 at 11:12 am
I loved Mike Evans until he left his Team for Dead an watch now we will be better without him can’t wait It’s time for Chris to Take Rains of this WR group an the thing is there’s no bona fide 1.but all 3 could be the 1 any given day
June 20th, 2026 at 11:43 am
Marine Buc with an excellent comp of 2022 Julio Jones. A lot of Evans’ TD were “goal to goal”/1-3 yard in length. Hard fought sure but speaks more to forcing him the ball and the lack of a short yardage specialist at RB.
June 20th, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Just think how Baker must feel Mike Evans basically said Brock Purdy’s better than you that’s disgusting. But full disclosure Todd Bowles is the reason Mike Evans has gone. Third and 28 is all it took that and the blown coverage at the end of the huge comeback against the Rams that cost us another Super Bowl.
June 20th, 2026 at 12:58 pm
Nick2, that was not blown coverage in the Rams game, THAT WAS THE PLAY CALL!
Yup, against Stafford who was the best QB against blitzes that year (and most other years) and Kupp, who was Micheal Jordan that year, BOWLES CHOSE to leave the best QB/WR duo that year, alone against a (1, one, uno, singular) safety!?!?
However, Instead of firing Bowles, the Bucs promoted him!?! Oh yeah, Kupp had MULTIPLE receptions on that gut-punching drive, when the Rams had only 80-90 seconds to get into field goal range!!! These Bowles believers seem to forget.
ME13 should have left then!
#Foreverhardtoswallow
June 20th, 2026 at 1:10 pm
There is no doubt that ME with age will continue to decline.
However, comparing ME touchdown production to Julio Jones is just absurd.
Julio Jones was a yardage king at the best part of his career and never a great red zone threat.
Mike Evans had superior height with some of the most elite wingspan of any receiver in NFL history.
It made him and actually still makes him an exceptional red zone target. One the 49ers are happy to have and one that the Bucs will miss.
If folks want to move on because he is no longer with the team, I actually think that is a valuable position to take.
But let’s not falsely put him into Julio Jones also ran skill set. He is elite in something that Jones never got elite in.
June 20th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
BTW — Mike Evans 106 TDs compared to 66 TDs for Julio Jones.
June 20th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
@joebucsfan
Bruh..
Can’t catch touchdowns with soft hamstrings. Not our problem anymore. It’s time for TD HURST.
LFG!
Ring Me
June 20th, 2026 at 2:10 pm
Risked the playoffs on the last play of the game to get him a BIG bonus and keep his 1k streak alive 2 years ago.
Sorry your streak ended but shlt happens Mike.
I’ve thought… And thought again. I don’t think we’ll miss his production.
Like @WBL says, there will be an adjustment in opponent’s coverages with no clear X needing double coverage but we will be fine without that for now.
It will be nice not having a players individual goals competing with team goals for importance and it’s time for Chris and the boys to shine.
June 20th, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Adams went to McVay and got 13 or 14 last year to make that gap. He could do it again this year.
I’d bet now that Mike went to Shanahan… he closes that gap.
June 20th, 2026 at 2:42 pm
the fools here posting the “ted hurst threat” lol idiots.
June 20th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Hurst is 76 inches tall with an 80 inch wingspan. He’s going to be able to high point the ball and catch fades just like Evans used to do. Will he be as good? Who knows? But he is faster and almost the same size. So there’s potentially plenty of benefit having him on the field- especially in the red zone.
June 20th, 2026 at 6:11 pm
Time for Steve to move on.
June 20th, 2026 at 7:02 pm
Obviously his best days were behind him.
The point he s trying to make is someone will have to fill
Those shoes. Emeka couldn’t handle a double team. Jmac
Is to small and Godwin hasn’t been healthy for a season in
3 years.
June 20th, 2026 at 7:41 pm
@WBL, you had the only intelligent common that all the posters that I read , I admit I did not read them all. What a bunch of fools that comment on here.
June 20th, 2026 at 9:34 pm
“@WBL, you had the only intelligent common that all the posters that I read , I admit I did not read them all.“
It’s kind of clear how undervalued Mike was some Bucs fans, and reading them cope with his exit is kind of funny to read because it proves how little they understand Mike as a player in terms of how he makes the other 10 guys he shares the field with harder.
Just by the numbers, 11 on 11 but we line up with a guy that commands two sets of eyes or two bodies. That’s a 10 on 9 for the everybody else. Guys trying to paint Mike out like he’s selfish, or was chasing personal stats when he was just literally the best recieving option when available. Not to mention, he gave you the best shot to beat the opponents best backfield defender, and when he was gone last year NOBODY was that option.
For crying out loud, Mike went down in Detroit we couldn’t move the ball against a secondary full of BACKUPS!!!
I get being salty he left, I was mad too, but that doesn’t make the void left by Mike any more daunting to fill. His on field rep, cannot be replaced in a year, the reliability isn’t a sure thing in any of our WRs right now. Yes, he missed time with the hammies, as anybody that drives a high performance vehicle. Clutch, fly well, gasket, they’re going to go the harder you push that machine. Or, are we forgetting what he did in ‘19, or what he’s meant to every QB to start a game for us.
Ya’ll are setting yourselves up, and the best shot we got at giving us a Mike like presence in terms of stretching the field vertically isn’t Egbuka, and as much as I love Tampa Ted it ain’t him either. It’s J-Mac, who’s arguably our best route runner, can seperate as well as anybody on hand and as long as he doesn’t have to defy the laws of physics to catch the occasional meatball sub from Baker, he’ll be the one to give us Mike-like impact out of the gate.
As of now, we don’t have a WR that commands the attention of anybodys’ #1 and a safety over top. So guess what secondaries will do in response? They’re going to sit on us in 2 high shells, force us to beat them underneath. That’ll challenge our ability to be explosive/get vertical. When or if we can beat that, they’ll cover 3 us down, pack it full of false signals and start bringing that safety freed up from not to clog the seams.
All this campaigning to Mike out like he’s some bad guy, or was some hinderance to our recent success is dumb. Just go look at the target share, or quips from Baker having Mike, one made the others job not only easy, but looked good while doing it.
“Hey, Mike gone, you guys gone pay me pay me?”
No fool, you cashed out on $30M already, that’s in your pocket and you’re good for another $10M this season. See ya in March.
/endrant
Knicks in 5
June 20th, 2026 at 10:01 pm
@WarrenBrooks Lynch
Mike Evans is a future Hall of Famer and nobody is denying the attention he commanded. Defenses absolutely rolled coverage his way, and that opened things up for everyone else.
But football isn’t played on reputation alone it’s played on Sundays my boy. The reality is Mike missed time repeatedly over the last few seasons, and when your offense is built around one player, those absences become magnified.
What I’m saying isn’t anti-Mike. It’s pro-reality. This offense may actually become harder to defend because the ball won’t have to funnel through one receiver. Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Ted Hurst, Godwin, Otton, Bucky, Gainwell, and the backs can all be involved. Instead of defenses keying on one superstar, they’ll have to account for multiple weapons from multiple spots.
You call Mike’s presence a 10-on-9 advantage. Fair enough. But if that advantage isn’t on the field every week, what good is it?
Sometimes fans have to disconnect emotion from reality. Mike was great. Mike is a Buccaneer legend. But legends eventually leave, and the best offenses adapt. I think this offense will be more diverse, less predictable, and ultimately more dangerous because of it. And for the love of God, no one campaign about Mike leaving, so he is now the enemy because he left for what he called a better quarterback and a new challenge. Hope he drops every ball thrown to him, hopefully he doesn’t pull both hamstrings for disrespecting by Buccaneers.
LFG!
Ring ME
June 20th, 2026 at 11:15 pm
“But football isn’t played on reputation alone it’s played on Sundays my boy”
It’s a relatively big part of what came with having Mike on the field. Just a part, not fully what we lost and to talk as if that’s not apart of our new “reality” offensively. To underestimate, just to come up with all these half-cocked assertions about a Mike some bad player because fans are still grieving is understandable.
Trying to make them factual talking points just off his performance in a year he missed 9 games, while the offense sputtered with and without his is just irresponsible. Crap, last year was the first year in his NFL career Rachaad White didn’t have a solitary recieving TD either, he’s old and washed too huh?
June 21st, 2026 at 1:18 am
@WBL
You’re arguing against a point I never made. I never said Mike was a bad player. I never said he was washed. I never said he wasn’t important. In fact, the entire basis of your argument is that he was so important the offense revolved around him. That’s exactly my point!
When one player becomes that central to your offense, his availability matters just as much as his talent. Mike missed games. That’s not an opinion that’s reality. Comparing that to Rachaad White (Now the Enemy) not catching a receiving TD is a false equivalency. A running back having a statistical dip isn’t the same thing as a receiver missing games entirely.
You keep talking about what Mike did to defenses when he was on the field. Great. Nobody disputes that. The question is: What happens when he’s not?
Last season we already got a preview. Baker learned to spread the ball around. McMillan emerged. Otton became a bigger factor. Bucky exploded. The offense evolved out of necessity. You see a void. I see opportunity, and the funny thing is you’re proving my argument. You can’t imagine this offense succeeding without Mike because you’re still viewing everything through the Mike Evans lens.
I’m keeping receipts 🧾 for when our Buccaneers are more explosive and a top 5 offense without ME13.
LFG!!
Ring ME
June 21st, 2026 at 3:10 am
@WBL
Nicely worded and well thought out truths that the to be “frank”, the “butt hurt and secretly jealous” types are reflecting in their Deep Hurt. AND I GET IT!
Look… you guys are attacking THE WRONG GUY! How about attacking the guy WHO ACTUALLY DISGUSTED HIM SO DEEPLY that Evans RAN to the arms of another team. “A true contender” of which…. We Are NOT! Mike IS getting up there in age and his time is limited.
You guys Forget! Bowles LOST THE TEAM just a few months back! Do you have Any Clue as to just HOW VERY BAD things were to lose an ENTIRE TEAM? To Have the TOP TWO LEADERS on BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL that either couldn’t find a bright spot to play for, OR a driven “CONTENDER” to STAY FOR?
I MEAN COME ON MAN! The Reality IS Starring YOU right in the face! OR you’re choosing to be a Dullard in Very Large Part to YOUR Detriment!
DUDES! I Can NOT believe that with some of your vaulted ages that YOU’RE STILL trading your cow for the “Den of Depression” type of MAGIC “Happiness Killing” “BEANS”! You people COULDN’T POSSIBLY BE THAT GULLIBLE… Your just TOO OLD to be so blind! I’m gonna say it again, COME ON MAN! Wake UP and notice the Horrible TRUTH of our situation!
This new OC is NO Liam Coen and he’ll do what he can (and that’s somewhere in the neighborhood of a thousand miles better than who Bowles PURPOSELY sabo’ed the 2025 season with… Guzzard! Bowles wasn’t going to risk his job AGAIN of course… So.. Bowles KNEW Guzzard would fail and maybe THAT’S the secret of the Entire Team turning their back on Bozo Bowles.. Just maybe!)
June 21st, 2026 at 3:13 am
In any case.. blame the correct culprit. Mike simply WASN’T going to be abused anymore. Why do you want another Bowl of GRUEL? Another wasted season? And how many years do you have left to waist? CAN YOU SEE THE FOREST?
June 21st, 2026 at 3:28 am
And BoriMex..
WBL…. “DID EXPLAIN VERY CLEARLY” WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MIKE’S NO LONGER ON THE FIELD FOR US! Don’t worry Borimex, SOON you’ll FULLY UNDERSTAND just WHY losing Mike IS GOING TO STING!
Don’t worry. An edumacation is coming right up! When the BIG TIME TD’s are far fewer and in between. Mike WILL BE missed.
Though, I have to agree. There’s really no point in talking about Evans anymore UNLESS he’s ready to Spill The Beans and tell us EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED! Besides that, personally, I might start skipping over the Mike stories. Just don’t see the “healthy point” anymore.
June 21st, 2026 at 5:20 am
I think we’re All right about J Mac. I felt him last year before the unthinkable hit his perverbial fan. He STILL came back and got in the fight before the season was up.
With a full off season to rest and recover he “should be” around 90% as good as ever. It’s been my experience that it’ll take another year or two to get back up to 95%.to 97/98%. Maybe sooner accounting for his youth.
I believe he’s as good as Godwin “was” once apon a time. I think it might be one h3ll of a back and forth between Eb and Mac. That competition is a Plus/ Plus for us and still neither can compete with Mike within Mike’s style of ball.
J Mac is the “Fan Favorite and dark horse” right now and that may not change.
June 21st, 2026 at 8:04 am
“You keep talking about what Mike did to defenses when he was on the field. Great. Nobody disputes that. The question is: What happens when he’s not?”
Bruh…”As of now, we don’t have a WR that commands the attention of anybodys’ #1 and a safety over top. So guess what secondaries will do in response? They’re going to sit on us in 2 high shells, force us to beat them underneath. That’ll challenge our ability to be explosive/get vertical. When or if we can beat that, they’ll cover 3 us down, pack it full of false signals and start bringing that safety freed up from not to clog the seams.”
They’re going to pick who they can take away and force us to beat them with what they’re willing to give us. If you think, teams will play is the same way they did with Mike out of the lineup.
Or PPG average dropped 4 points last year in game we didn’t have Mike.
Our 3rd down conversion with Mike last year was 41%, without Mike it dropped to 38% over the course of 9 games. In the first 3 games after his broken collarbone our 3rd down conversion rate in those games combined(!) was 27%!!!
TD:INT ratio in games Mike didn’t play was 12:7, not terrible, but not all that good either.
I mean, I can go on, but to sit here and act as if you’re unaware of the influence Evans had on how opposing defenses play us with Mike in the line begs me to question how long have you been watching this team? It’s been an open secret since 2015 at the earliest.
Make sure you zip lock those receipts just in case they have to sit longer than you’d expect. Wouldn’t want them turning to dust whilst collecting dust.
June 21st, 2026 at 8:36 am
@WBL
You’re proving my point without realizing it. Nobody is denying what Mike Evans meant to this franchise. The Bucs didn’t move on because he wasn’t good, we moved on because football is a business, not a nostalgia club. You keep posting numbers from a season where Mike missed time as if that proves the 2026 offense can’t function.That’s not analysis that’s grief with statistics.
The offense averaged 4 fewer points? Okay. Mike missed 9 games, the offensive line dealt with injuries, the run game was inconsistent, and the entire offense was adjusting week to week. Yet you’re acting like every problem traces back to one player. The bigger issue is you’re assuming defenses will treat this offense exactly how they treated it last year. Why? Different personnel. Different weapons. Different tendencies. Different season.
IF a 3% drop in third-down conversions and a 12:7 TD-INT ratio is the smoking gun, you’re going to need a bigger gun.
NFL defenses don’t line up on Sunday and say, “Mike Evans retired, let’s run Cover 2 forever.” They attack weaknesses. If the young receivers win, (Tampa TED) if Bucky keeps forcing loaded boxes, if Baker keeps distributing the ball, defenses adjust again. That’s football. And let’s be honest: if Mike Evans was still the irreplaceable force you’re describing, the front office would’ve paid whatever it took to keep him. Instead, they chose youth, cap flexibility, and the future.
Can we all just agree that ME13 is now the ENEMY and move on? That’s All. Oh, My receipts won’t be collecting dust. They’re sitting in a fireproof safe waiting for Week 18!!
LFG!
Fire the Cannons
Ring ME
June 22nd, 2026 at 12:31 am
We missed him last season but we won’t miss last season’s production.