An argument can easily be made that Mike Evans is the most underappreciated wide receiver in the entire NFL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass-catcher went over 1,000 receiving yards for the seventh time in a row this season and it’s something that hardly gets mentioned outside of the team’s fan base.
Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV this Sunday, Evans will have the chance to shine under the brightest lights the NFL has to offer. Everyone around the country will be watching this weekend’s big matchup and it feels like the perfect opportunity for Evans to give the viewers at home a performance to remember.
Only one wide receiver has been awarded the Super Bowl MVP in the last 10 seasons (Julian Edelman in 2018). Could Evans be the next to earn the honor?
Could Mike Evans lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory?
As of Tuesday, FanDuel has Evans’ odds to be named the MVP of Super Bowl LV at 34-to-1. So if someone places a $100 bet on the Bucs receiver to win the award and he actually ends up doing it, then that person would win $3,400.
Evans’ Super Bowl MVP odds are currently tied for the third-highest on Tampa’s roster with Chris Godwin. Tom Brady (2-to-1) and Leonard Fournette (30-to-1) have the two highest odds among Bucs players heading into Sunday.
So how might Evans end up being named the Super Bowl MVP this weekend? Well, breaking some Super Bowl receiving records is likely what would have to happen.
Evans would probably have to set new Super Bowl records for either catches (14), receiving yards (215), or receiving touchdowns (3) in order to end the night as the game’s MVP.
Can he do it? Evans has never caught more than 12 passes or gained more than 209 receiving yards in a single game during his career, but he has finished a matchup with three touchdown catches.
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If the Bucs receiver can tie or break the Super Bowl record for touchdown catches, his chances of being named the game’s MVP would definitely be high. Since Evans caught two scores when Tampa took on the Chiefs a few months ago, the veteran receiver finding the end zone three or four times doesn’t feel like it’s something that is unattainable.