For the first time since Week 3, Mike Evans was on the field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He wasted absolutely no time in reminding everyone why having him there makes such a big difference.
On the first drive of the second quarter, Evans hauled in a highlight reel "catch", that turned into a huge play regardless of its outcome.
Why the quotes and so much mystery with that statement? It's because it wasn't actually a catch; officials ruled that Evans didn't establish possession while inbounds and therefore it was an incomplete pass.
However, Evans drew a pass interference penalty on the play that ended up giving the Bucs the ball at that spot anyway and made it an even more impressive play.
Mike Evans with an incredible effort, but ruled incomplete. #Bucs got a DPI anyway: pic.twitter.com/gN3Uzm2nrn
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) October 20, 2025
Like most things Evans does, there's layers to this.
The catch itself was an outstanding one-handed grab that was vintage Evans. The fact that he was being dragged down while still making the catch look easy is why he's a Hall of Famer -- normal players just do not make that play.
Drawing the penalty is why Evans is GOAT'd. It's the fact that he was able to draw the penalty to ensure the yardage was picked up regardless of whether he reeled in the catch, but also that he needs to be guarded so closely even at this stage in his career.
We've seen great players lose their luster as they reach the end of their career, but Evans has only missed beats because he's missed games. When he's healthy, and when the offense is going through him, good things tend to happen.
In big games like the one the Bucs had on Monday night -- and will have in the coming weeks against teams like the Patriots, Bills, and Rams -- they'll need more of that from their GOAT.