Even the most casual of NFL fans know the name, Jerry Rice.
The San Francisco 49ers' Hall of Fame legend isn't just the franchise's best player of all time, he's the greatest wide receiver in football history, arguably the greatest player in football, period.
Rice's list of accomplishments and records reads like an encyclopedia, and the bulk of his achievements will never again be touched by subsequent generations.
Not all of those achievements are fully safe, though.
Mike Evans on the verge of claiming a longtime Jerry Rice NFL record
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans won't hold a candle to Rice's 22,895 all-time receiving yards across 20 seasons. At 12,684 yards to date entering 2025, the soon-to-be 32-year-old Evans would probably need to play (and highly produce) another eight to 10 years to have a shot.
That said, all 11 of Evans' pro seasons have resulted in a 1,000-yard campaign, which is currently tied with Rice for most consecutive 1,00-yard seasons -- an achievement the latter reached between 1986 and 1996 before injuries derailed the Niners legend's 1997 campaign to just two games.
Of note, Rice responded in 1998 with yet another 1,000-yard effort.
From CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan:
"One of the highlights of the final week of the 2024 regular season came when Mike Evans topped 1,000 yards receiving on the final play of the game. That kept his streak of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons alive, and tied the record that is now co-owned between Evans and San Francisco 49ers great Jerry Rice. If Evans puts together another 1,000-yard campaign in 2025, he'll own the record outright, making it 12 straight years for the future Hall of Fame receiver. "
Evans has achieved this long-developing trajectory despite an array of different quarterbacks, recently including another future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady, and the Bucs' current starter, Baker Mayfield.
Still, the inconsistency under center prior to Brady's arrival in 2020 certainly highlights Evans' efforts as noteworthy, whereas Rice unquestionably benefited from having two Hall of Famers, quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, regularly trying to get him the ball.
Either way, it'll be a noteworthy achievement for Tampa Bay's top receiver to eclipse Rice on one record sheet, even if Rice still holds the vast majority of other pass-catching records that'll never be touched.
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