Mike Evans still has much to accomplish individually and as a teammate to his fellow players on the Bucs. Many would be thrilled to have the career that Evans has had going into year 11, which includes a Super Bowl championship, franchise records, and an ongoing NFL receiving record that can go further this season with another successful year.

Evans isn’t just “happy to be here” as the saying goes.

Let’s not get it misconstrued, Evans looks to be very happy, especially signing a new, lucrative contract, but he’s not content with just playing football. He loves the game of football and the thrill of competition. Playing isn’t enough. He’s playing to win and dominate.

So going into year 11, there’s as much to play for now as there was when he first entered the 11. Finding ways to challenge himself won’t be a problem.

Mike Evans Chasing Team And Individual Success 

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

“Well, I’m super competitive,” Mike Evans said after day one of training camp. “You all know that about me. You all have been covering me 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 need to do. I love to win, and I’m chasing history.”

That history of course is having yet another season of 1,000 yards receiving. It would continue his record that at already stands at 10 seasons to begin a career with 1,000 yards each season. If he does it again, it would also tie him with Jerry Rice with the most consecutive years of reaching that milestone.

If the first day of Bucs training camp practice this season was a sign of things to come, Rice will have company with his record. Mike Evans made several catches this morning connecting with Baker Mayfield at all levels. They picked up right where they left off. It’s safe to say Evans has been ready to go for quite a bit.

“It’s a blessing, always, to start a training camp healthy and go out here and just do what I love to do and live out my dream,”Evans humbly said. “Obviously, it’s not easy. It isn’t easy, but I’d rather be nowhere else than here. I’m happy I get to do this. I’ve been seeing pictures of me, my first camp when I was 240 pounds and out of shape, but I was just a young, just hungry kid, and I still have that same hunger. I just got smarter.”

“Mike came back in great shape,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “He looks just like he did a year ago. He’s a professional. He loves to play the game. He knows what time it is, he knows when to come back and do things the right way. He’s been doing that his whole career. That’s what makes him great.”

Mike Evans Has Seen It All

As we’ve seen throughout his whole career, Evans will always take the team’s success over his own. He’s been on winning teams and losing teams, and of course prefers how the Bucs have performed over the past five years. Evans is in the latter half of his career and never wants to experience anything other than winning ways again.

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“We came a long way,” Mike Evans said. “We had to have some things happen free agency-wise and with the team and our players getting better over time. Our management team has been doing a great job. I look back on those times, and I never want to go back. We are always trying to fight to get in the playoffs. Then obviously, when we get in the playoffs, you see what we can do.”

A good influx of youthful play could come for Mike Evans with the help of offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who plans on getting him the ball early and often.

“I like him,” Evans said. “I talked to him even before I re-signed. That’s another reason I wanted to sign back; he had all these plans to continue giving me the ball. I love to hear that. That just makes me happy. I like him a lot.”

Evans also described the offense as “a lot of movement” and “eye candy.” How he’s expected to star in this offense could end up being a real treat for Bucs fans.