Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Mike Evans is a man of the fans. Perhaps a little too much, however.
During Sunday’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver dropped a perfectly executed pass that should have resulted in a touchdown.
He was very honest as to why it happened.
“I was wide open, and I dropped it,” Evans said postgame. (h/t NFL.com) “Got a little cocky thinking about what fan I was going to give the ball to. Can’t do that.”
You’re always gonna get a straight honest answer from Mike Evans. You know why he dropped that touchdown? He said he was trying to figure out which fan to give the ball to. pic.twitter.com/PlGV1XY89Z
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) November 12, 2023
The media in attendance chuckled in response.
Evans was asked if he truly was thinking about the fans in that moment:
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “I got what I deserved.”
This is what happened during the third quarter:
MIKE EVANS YOU CANT DROP THAT.
pic.twitter.com/j8vPK9FIiO— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) November 12, 2023
Despite the error, Evans showed off his catching abilities and strength during the Bucs’ 20-6 win.
In the third quarter, Baker Mayfield hit Evans with a 22-yard touchdown pass. Although cornerback Kristian Fulton grabbed him, Evans didn’t skip a beat to get into the end zone with ease.
Mike Evans is too strong 💪
📺: #TENvsTB on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGc6Bj pic.twitter.com/Mvd9mu4GpW— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023
That marked the 87th career TD reception for Evans, tying him with Hall of Famer Andre Reed for 16th on the all-time list.
This isn’t the first time Evans has had fans on his mind, especially in a big scenario. When Tom Brady was his quarterback, he gave the GOAT’s 600th career touchdown ball to a lucky fan without realizing the magnitude of the situation.
Don’t worry, a staffer retrieved it.
What a guy.
[NFL.com]
