Mike Evans’ Last Catch Of The Season Earned Him $3 Million

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Mike Evans' Last Catch Of The Season Earned Him $3 Million

The NFL finished up its final week of the regular season, and there was plenty of intrigue on the field. While many teams had already locked up playoff bids, there were still a few spots up for grabs, as well as possible seeding changes.

Beyond that, many NFL players have financial incentives in their contracts. If they hit a specific milestone for the season, win a certain number of games, or finish in the top five or ten in a particular category, they can earn some extra cash. Perhaps nobody had a better day than Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans—who made history en route to a few extra million.

Heading into the game, Tampa Bay simply needed a victory against the New Orleans Saints to make the playoffs. The Saints had lost 11 of their past 14 games and had nothing to play for, yet they jumped out to an early 10-point lead. 

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The Buccaneers stormed back in the second half and went up by eight. When the Saints turned the ball over on downs in the final minute, the Buccaneers had the game won. In most scenarios, this would simply kneel down in most occasions and let the clock run out.

But this wasn’t an ordinary situation. Evans was five yards shy of 1,000 for the season. And he had an incentive bonus of $3 million if he broke that mark.

The Buccaneers had no intention of taking a knee—they were going to get Evans his bonus. Baker Mayfield threw a pass and let his receiver do the rest. Evans got an eight-yard gain on the catch, and with it, a few additional million dollars in his pocket.

Evans also tied Jerry Rice for the most consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards. Both receivers have done that 11 times in a row.

Here’s the play that made it happen. The best part? Look how pumped his teammates are for him. The Bucs will look to keep the good times going as the playoffs begin.

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