Mike Evans expresses confidence as WR aims for Jerry Rice's NFL record: "I'm chasing history"

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is heading into his 11th season in the National Football League. Along with that comes an opportunity to break the record of one of the best wide receivers in the game.

In 2023, Evans recorded his 10th consecutive season of at least 1,000 receiving yards to start a career. As Evans looks to make it 11 consecutive seasons, he is eyeing a record.

Three-time Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Jerry Rice had 11 consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards, from 1986 until 1996.

On Wednesday, the soon-to-be 31-year-old Bucs wide receiver spoke to the media after the first day of Buccaneers' training camp. He said the record is in the back of his mind and something he would love to accomplish, although winning games is his top priority.

"I don’t, like, list off things, but that’s one of them that’s in the back of my mind because everybody’s talking about it. That’s been a record around for how many years now? Over 20 years? So, that’s something I definitely want to accomplish, and just help the team win ball games and be better than we were last year."

Mike Evans continued by saying that he is harder on himself than anyone else could be and that he knows what he is capable of:

"I'm super competitive. Y'all know that about me, I've been competitive for a long time. I'm down on myself more than anybody else could be. There's more for me to do in my career, there's more that I feel I can do. I love to win and I'm chasing history."

Jerry Rice's run of 1000+ receiving yards came to a halt in 1996, when he was 34 years old. However, that wasn't the end of his career. The former 49ers wide receiver went on to record at least 1,000 yards in four more seasons afterward.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield said Mike Evans doesn't get recognition for career achievements

Wide receiver Mike Evans received some support from his quarterback Baker Mayfield as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers embarked on training camp this week. Mayfield, who is heading into his second season as the starting quarterback, said that Evans doesn't receive the recognition he deserves.

He said that Mike Evans has played with several different quarterbacks throughout his career and should be recognized for his accomplishments. Buccaneers.com shared Mayfield's thoughts on his top target:

"If he [Evans] has an average year stats-wise for his records, he'll still be top 10 in touchdowns, and he is up there in yards. I mean, he has had 10 seasons in a row of over 1,000 yards. I mean, I know he has had some good quarterbacks but also, he has had a bunch of different ones.

"He is the consistent one and he does not get that recognition, like Lavonte David as well. He is another one of those guys in Tampa that gets no recognition. The dude is a Hall of Famer. He's unbelievable," said Baker Mayfield.

Mayfield sees his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammate as a future Hall of Famer and if he continues to break receiving records, he will likely be enshrined in Canton one day.