Star NFL Wide Receiver Mike Evans Declares Celebration at Casino

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and your local slot machine fanatic have more in common than you’d think. 

Evans, who tied Jerry Rice as the only player in NFL history with 11 straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving, said that he planned on celebrating his achievement with his family at the casino.

Evans, 31, caught nine passes for 89 yards in the Buccaneers’ 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.

The perfect place to relax

Tampa’s number-one wideout left it until the final minute to eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier. Instead of kneeling the clock out with 36 seconds left and the Saints trailing without any timeouts, the Bucs threw him a pass on a special play designed only for him to help him finish the season with 1,004 yards. 

“I might go to the casino with my family,” Evans said when asked how he was going to celebrate the milestone. “I might go hang out, watch some games, [and] play some blackjack.

When asked if he would meet up with any fans, Evans quipped that “they can’t get where I’m going.”

In all likelihood, that meant that Evans planned on going to a high-roller lounge or area of the casino.

While Evans fittingly got to tie the record in front of his home fans, it would have been fitting had he done so on the road, given his postgame comments, at the Saints’ Caesars Superdome stadium.

Nonetheless, the longtime Buc will have plenty of choices in the casino-rich state of Florida. 

One of the main gambling destinations in Tampa is the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. Evans and all NFL personnel are allowed to go to in-person casinos so long as they don’t enter a sportsbook or place bets on any NFL games.

Evans’ quest for history

Evans has always been one of the best receivers in the NFL during his career. However, his ability to hit 1,000 yards in his 11th season is up there for his most impressive achievements thus far.

The 6-foot-5 wideout only had 335 yards entering Week 11, meaning he was on pace to catch 603 yards. He finished his campaign by leading the league in receiving yards over the final two months of play with 669, tied with Jerry Jeudy and just ahead of triple-crown winner Ja’Marr Chase, who had 652. 

Sunday’s win wrapped up another NFC South title for the Buccaneers, whose next task will be to take down the Washington Commanders at home in the Wild Card round.

The Bucs already beat Washington at home 37-20 in Week 1 in projected Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels’ NFL debut. Baker Mayfield torched the Washington defense for 289 yards and four touchdowns, while Evans caught five passes for 61 yards and two scores.

If the Bucs win, they will advance to play either the Detroit Lions or the Philadelphia Eagles, assuming the latter handles the seventh-seed Green Bay Packers.

Evans already won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2021 and is looking for his second NFL championship.