"Shameless stat padding" - NFL fans react to Buccaneers WR Mike Evans' historic 1,000-yard season streak 

On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had two objectives: beat the New Orleans Saints to win the NFC South and book their playoff berth, and throw the ball to Mike Evans for at least 85 yards to ensure he hits the 1,000-receiving yard mark.

At the end of the first half, it looked like the Buccaneers wouldn't hit either goal, as they trailed 16-6 and the wide receiver had only 31 receiving yards. However, three touchdown drives in the second half, with two in the fourth quarter helped them secure the win.

The Buccaneers had an eight-point lead and possession of the football with only 36 seconds left on the clock. Under normal circumstances, quarterback Baker Mayfield would have taken a knee to run out the clock and secure the win.

However, Evans had 80 receiving yards and needed five to hit the 1,000-yard mark. So they risked a turnover and ran a play to help the wide receiver get to four-digits, and he did it with a nine-yard catch and run before celebrating with his teammates.

Some fans on social media weren't too impressed with the Buccaneers running a play just to get Evans to 1,000 yards, with one tweeting:

"Shameless stat padding by Mike Evans to get 1000 yards"

However, most were glad that Tampa Bay ran a play to ensure that the wide receiver reached four-digits, which triggered a $3 million bonus:

"It’s so nice to see you when the teams go out of their way to make sure guys get their records like this. He sure did deserve it. That was a wonderful moment." - opined @Arlin4US

"This is how it should be done. You should want your guys to hit these milestones." - claimed @LovelessEnt

"Some may not like this, but I love it. Good for Mike Evans! Look at the team rally around him." - said @TheMattCanada

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Mike Evans stats: Buccaneers WR joins Jerry Rice in achieving historic feat

The catch at the end of the game ensured that Mike Evans maintained his record of finishing with at least 1,000 receiving in all 11 seasons in the NFL. He now has 12,680 receiving yards, which ranks 24th in NFL history.

The veteran also became only the second wide receiver in league history to record 11-straight 1000-yard seasons, joining Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in achieving the feat.

In 2025, Evans will have the opportunity to become the first player to record 12 consecutive 1000-yard campaigns. For now, he will celebrate etching his name in the history books before turning his attention to the Buccaneers' Wildcard Weekend clash with the Washington Commanders.