In his 13th NFL Season, Mike Evans showed he still has plenty of gas left in the tank as he was named Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game after a standout performance in the San Francisco 49ers' win over the Seattle Seahawks. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown as San Francisco outlasted Seattle, 32-29, to improve to 5-0. Evans’ 2-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was the 111th of his career, tying Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for ninth on the NFL’s all-time list.
He also caught the two-point conversion that gave the 49ers a 29-26 lead in the fourth quarter, and he had four catches for 75 yards on the go-ahead touchdown drive. Brady, who called the game on FOX as part of "America's Game of the Week," opened his conversation with his former Tampa Bay teammate by praising what Evans gave San Francisco on a day he was visibly hurting. "This is the first time I’ve had the chance to do this, and there’s nobody I loved playing with more in the NFL than Mike," Brady said.
"Today, you’re grimacing, you’re limping and you just kept coming back for more. How bad do you need that ice bath tonight?" "I need it bad. I need it bad," Evans said.
"But it was all worth it." The Niners’ wide receiver dismissed Seahawks' former Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs as he began to chirp at Evans, asking Diggs, "Who are you?" Evans, who played through a rib injury a week earlier, was Brock Purdy’s most reliable target. Purdy finished 19 of 29 for 189 yards and two touchdowns, and Evans caught seven of his 10 targets. Brady asked how Evans knew Purdy would find him in one-on-one matchups.
"He just told me to stay the course," Evans said. "Scoring on that first drive, the ribs got me a little bit. But as soon as I got warmed up, he kept giving me opportunities.
He’s having a great season so far. So, it’s my job to do my best to get open for him and make plays." Brady then turned to the touchdown that tied Gonzalez, and to a memorable moment from their time together in Tampa. Evans caught Brady’s 600th career touchdown pass in 2021 and handed the ball to a fan in the stands, not realizing its significance, before the Buccaneers negotiated to get it back.
"You had a great touchdown catch today, tying Tony Gonzalez [on the all-time list]," Brady said. "I was actually going to come out of the booth and run down there and throw the ball into the stands, like you did with my 600th touchdown pass. So, you’re lucky I didn’t do that." "I’m not mad about that," Evans said.
"I appreciate you." And Evans really let it be known that he has great appreciation for Brady when the two finished their conversation. "Appreciate you, GOAT," Evans said. "Love you.
Let's f—ing go!"
