The Buccaneers’ Mike Evans would be the best receiver in Bears history.
Teammate Chris Godwin would be close.
Evans’ 10,491 career receiving yards are almost double the Bears’ all-time career record. His 689 catches are almost 200 more than the Bears’ all-time leader, and his 82 touchdowns are 32 more than the franchise leader.
Godwin has more career receiving yards than Johnny Morris’ 5,059-yard record. He’d rank third in receptions and fifth in receiving touchdowns. And he’s not even the best receiver on his own team.
“They have some very veteran receivers that know what they’re doing when they get on the field,” Bears rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said.
That’s an understatement. The two have combined to play 17 seasons, all with the Buccaneers. They’ve combined to catch 1,140 passes for 16,208 yards — which is more than 9 miles.
The Buccaneers’ star power belies their projected spot near the bottom of the NFL. On defense, they boast Shaq Barrett, Lavonte David, Vita Vea, Devin White and Antoine Winfield, who have all been to at least one Pro Bowl. The person throwing to Evans and Godwin isn’t Pro Bowl-caliber, but he is famous — 2018 No. 1 overall pick and insurance pitchman Baker Mayfield.
Of all the household names, though, Evans and Godwin worry the Bears the most. A secondary that gave up a 123.2 passer rating to Packers quarterback Jordan Love in his second career start, then lost slot cornerback Kyler Gordon to injured reserve now has to find a way to stop that duo. The Bears could move Stevenson inside to the slot with Gordon and Josh Blackwell — who sat out practice Thursday with a hamstring injury — hobbled. Stevenson would have to chase Godwin around the field.
Stopping the Bucs starts with Evans, who had six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in their shocking Week 1 win at the Vikings.
“His stats are self-explanatory,” Bears safety Eddie Jackson said. “Him being able to stretch the field vertically, make tough catches. Good ball skills.”
Evans is playing in the final year of his contract and could be the best receiver available in free agency in March.
“He’s able to find the ball across the middle, the deep ball,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “He has a big catch radius. I feel like there’s not too many balls that he can’t catch, for one.”
At 30, Evans doesn’t blow past people. But he finds a way to get open.
“I think he’s more of a savvy route runner,” Johnson said. “I think he knows he’s not the fastest or the shiftiest. He knows how to run routes with what he has physically. He knows how to change speeds. He picks it up a little bit when he gets down the field.
“He’s kinda deceptively fast, as well — people don’t think he can really run until he gets behind people. He knows himself, he knows the game and he catches the ball at a high level.”
That benefits Godwin, who has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in three of the last four seasons.
“A lot of teams double Mike, so they try to use Chris to feed off those one-on-ones,” Jackson said. “Motion him, get him to the slot, different positions, try to get him different matchups. And try to get him to work, just in space, down the field, screens, stuff like that.”
