Mike Evans Has Haunted the Panthers for Over a Decade. Sunday, He Could Make Even More History
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - When the Carolina Panthers see Mike Evans across the line of scrimmage, they know what’s coming. They’ve seen it for 11 straight seasons - the size, the strength, the deep-ball threat, and the uncanny ability to rise to the moment. And this Sunday, with playoff implications once again on the line, they’ll see it all over again.
Evans has been a thorn in Carolina’s side for years - and that might be putting it lightly. The last time these two teams met in a high-stakes, late-season matchup, Evans torched the Panthers’ secondary for three long touchdowns, helping Tom Brady and the Bucs eliminate Carolina from playoff contention in a 30-24 win back in Week 17 of 2022.
That day, with Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson sidelined, Evans feasted on backup corners Keith Taylor and C.J. Henderson.
The result? Ten catches, 207 yards, and three scores - a performance that still stings in Charlotte.
Now, nearly two years later, the stakes are eerily similar. Both teams are 7-7, tied atop the NFC South, and set to face off twice in the final three weeks. And once again, Evans looms large.
A Familiar Foe, Still Making History
Even after missing nine games this season due to a hamstring injury and a broken collarbone, Evans is still rewriting the record books. His streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons will come to an end - tying him with Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history - but there’s another milestone in reach. With just two receptions on Sunday, Evans will surpass Roddy White for the most career catches by a player against the Panthers.
He already holds the records for most receiving yards (1,695) and touchdown catches (14) by a Panthers opponent. And with 118 catches in 21 games, he’s averaging nearly six receptions and over 80 yards per contest against Carolina - numbers that speak to his consistent dominance.
Here’s how he stacks up against other all-time Panthers tormentors:
| Player | Games | Receptions | Yards | YPG | TDs |
|---|
| Mike Evans | 21 | 118 | 1,695 | 80.7 | 14 | | Julio Jones | 17 | 90 | 1,537 | 90.4 | 6 |
| Roddy White | 21 | 119 | 1,498 | 71.3 | 10 | | Marques Colston | 20 | 84 | 1,200 | 60.0 | 9 |
| Terrell Owens | 16 | 79 | 1,152 | 72.0 | 10 |
Evans was taken seventh overall in the 2014 NFL Draft - 21 spots ahead of the Panthers' pick, Kelvin Benjamin. While Benjamin’s career fizzled out by 2018, Evans, now 32, is still going strong.
He hinted this week that the end might be near, telling reporters in Tampa, “when I leave this game soon.” For Panthers fans, that can't come soon enough.
A Matchup That’s All About Physicality
Panthers head coach Dave Canales knows Evans well. He spent the 2023 season as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator and saw firsthand what separates the 6-foot-5, 231-pound wideout from the pack.
“Besides the obvious - he’s huge, he’s got a big catch radius, understands coverage - it’s really the competitive mindset that he has,” Canales said. “Whether it’s cards, darts, basketball - he wants to win.”
That mindset shows up on the field. Since 2020, Evans has logged five 100-yard games against the Panthers, including that 207-yard outburst on New Year’s Day 2023. Here's a look at his recent dominance:
| Date | Winner | Rec | Yards | YPC | TD |
|---|
| Dec. 29, 2024 | Buccaneers | 8 | 97 | 12.1 | 2 |
| Dec. 1, 2024 | Buccaneers | 8 | 118 | 14.8 | 1 |
| Jan. 7, 2024 | Buccaneers | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 |
| Dec. 3, 2023 | Buccaneers | 7 | 162 | 23.1 | 1 |
| Jan. 1, 2023 | Buccaneers | 10 | 207 | 20.7 | 3 |
Evans returned from his latest injury last week against Atlanta and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat - six catches, 132 yards, and a 45-yard highlight grab from Baker Mayfield. That kind of performance, after a six-game layoff, is exactly why the Panthers are on high alert.
“He looked strong. He looked really physical, right back to his style of play,” Canales said. “He forces you to play a physical game.”
The Panthers’ Plan: Don’t Flinch
This time around, the Panthers should have their top corners ready. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson - both big, physical corners - are expected to take on the Evans assignment. At 6-1, 200 and 6-1, 210 respectively, they match up better than most with Evans’ size and strength.
“Jaycee and Mike are gonna have their opportunities,” Canales said. “We have to play physical. He’s gonna bring that power forward mindset, and we’re not backing down.”
Jackson echoed that mentality.
“You can’t be scared,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s about who’s better that play.
Can’t get caught up in the stats or the name. On Sunday, he’s just number 13.”
It’s a confident approach, but it’ll be tested. Evans has drawn plenty of defensive pass interference calls over the years - something Canales noted when discussing the officiating crew for Sunday’s game, led by referee Shawn Smith. Smith’s crew is known to throw the flag on downfield contact, and the Panthers are already on edge after a controversial unnecessary roughness call last week and a league admission that a key reception was incorrectly overturned late in the loss to New Orleans.
Still, Jackson brushed off the idea that officiating tendencies would play a major role.
“Every crew’s known for PI,” he said. “So you can’t even say that. That’s not really unique.”
What is unique is Evans’ durability. Until this season, he’d never missed more than three games in a year. And in 21 career games against Carolina, he’s only missed one - a Week 16 matchup in 2021.
For some of the younger Panthers, like rookie nickelback Chau Smith-Wade, Evans has always been part of the NFL landscape. Smith-Wade was just 11 years old when Evans made his debut against Carolina in 2014 - a quiet five-catch, 37-yard performance that gave little hint of the havoc he’d go on to wreak.
“As far as I can remember, he’s always been a force to be reckoned with when it came to a 50-50 ball,” Smith-Wade said. “That’s who Mike Evans is. That’s who I know him as.”
Sunday’s Stakes
The NFC South is still wide open, and with two games remaining between the Bucs and Panthers, this rivalry is about to hit a fever pitch. For Carolina, it’s a chance to finally flip the script after five straight losses to Tampa. For Evans, it’s another opportunity to add to his legacy - and maybe, just maybe, deliver one more dagger to a team that’s seen far too many from him already.
The Panthers know what’s coming. The question is, can they finally stop it?