Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans has been named to his second Pro Bowl, according to an NFL announcement on Monday. Evans, who was a first alternate, is an injury replacement for Atlanta’s Julio Jones.
This is Evans’ second Pro Bowl, as he also earned that distinction after the 2016 season. Evans becomes Tampa Bay’s first wide receiver to make it to the Pro Bowl on multiple occasions.
Evans had a career year last season and ended the 2018 campaign with 86 catches for 1,524 yards (17.7 avg.) and eight touchdowns. He ranked third in the NFL in receiving yards, establishing a new Buccaneers single-season record. Evans’ 17.7 yards per reception set a new personal high, and were the third-highest in the NFL this season and the highest among receivers with at least 50 receptions.
For receivers with at least 85 receptions, Evans’ 17.7 yards per catch is the third-highest mark in a single season in NFL history. With 86 receptions on the year, Evans tied for the third-most in a single season in franchise history, while his eight touchdown catches tied for the ninth-most in a season in team history.
Evans had a personal best eight 100-yard receiving games in 2018, which was the second-most in a single season in team history and tied for the third-most such games in the NFL.
In his five-year career in Tampa Bay, Evans has become the top wide receiver in Buccaneers history, holding the team records for career receiving yards and career receiving touchdowns, in addition to 100-yard receiving games and games with multiple touchdown catches. Evans has recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first five seasons, joining A.J. Green and Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history to accomplish that feat. Evans’ 6,103 career receiving yards are the sixth-most by a player in his first five seasons since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.
Evans was one of two Buccaneers who were named as alternates to the 2019 Pro Bowl. Jason Pierre-Paul was named as a third-alternate at defensive end.