NFL star is mobbed by teammates after late catch secures him $3m bonus and extends historic streak to 11 years

Mike Evans made NFL history with an eight-yard reception to cap the Buccaneers’ Week 18 victory, only to be mobbed by his Tampa Bay teammates.

Evans’ final catch against the Saints helped him rack up more than 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th straight season, tying the NFL record previously held solely by Jerry Rice until Sunday.

The post route to a dive also helped Evans earn a $3 million bonus for surpassing the 1,000-yard mark this season.

With less than a minute to go, everyone in Raymond James Stadium seemed to know the situation – and Evans was five yards short of losing both his streak and the lucrative bonus.

In a situation where Tampa Bay would typically call a quarterback to his knees and watch the rest of the time tick down on the scoreboard, Baker Mayfield threw the ball.

Evans was open and overshot his historical marker as soon as he entered the field with the pigskin in hand. He was then harassed by his teammates all the way to the sidelines and beyond.

Evans’ final catch helped him rack up more than 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th straight season

Evans has spent his entire professional career in Tampa Bay, replicating the feat Rice accomplished as a member of the 49ers.

Rice’s streak likely would have been 13 years to reach that total had he not torn his ACL during Week 1 of the 1997 NFL season.

Now the door is open for Evans to make NFL history in the fall, while remaining the top target for who the Buccaneers’ quarterback is.

Mayfield has found his NFL groove in Tampa Bay in large part thanks to a consistent target like Evans.

After Tampa Bay’s 27-19 win over New Orleans, there will be a Wild Card playoff game against the Commanders, Vikings or Lions.

The Buccaneers’ seeding depends on whether the Los Angeles Rams beat the Seahawks to stay ahead of them in the standings. A loss would send the loser of Sunday night’s NFC North showdown to the West Coast.