Tom Brady

‘He’s just playing chess’: Mike Evans shares why he thinks Tom Brady is the ‘greatest player ever’

Brady has led the Buccaneers to the NFC Championship Game in his first season there.

Mike Evans seems to enjoy having Tom Brady as his quarterback. Nic Antaya/Getty Images

By Conor Roche

2 minutes to read

The Buccaneers don’t have the greatest history of success among NFL teams.

Sure, Tampa Bay does have a Super Bowl title that it won in 2002, but it also had a losing record in nine of the last 11 seasons prior to the 2020 season. The Buccaneers were also one of two teams that failed to reach the playoffs in the 2010-19 decade, failing to make the playoffs since 2007 before this season. They also have the worst winning percentage of all-time time (.393 percent) among the 32 NFL teams.

So, when Tom Brady, the winningest quarterback in NFL history, joined the team last March, some thought the tides may change in Tampa.

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And they already have in Brady’s first year there. Brady has led the Buccaneers to the NFC Championship Game after the team went 7-9 last season.

Buccaneers star receiver Mike Evans, who hadn’t made the playoffs in the first six seasons of his career, said that Brady can turn any team around.

“He’s the greatest player to ever play the game,” Evans told reporters on Wednesday. “If you add him on any roster, I’m sure the outcome would be somewhat like this. He always gets his teams to the playoffs. He’s a winner. He’s a natural-born winner, leader, all that. At this point in his career, he’s just playing chess and we’re definitely very happy that he’s on our side.”

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Evans has enjoyed a good first season with Brady. His 13 touchdown receptions are a career-high and he had 70 catches for 1,006 yards during the regular season. Evans has also stepped up in the playoffs. He caught six passes for 119 yards in the first round against Washington and caught one of Brady’s two touchdown passes in the Buccaneers’ win over the Saints on Sunday.

Brady and Evans will look to continue their spark in the playoffs on Sunday, when the Buccaneers face the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. In the Buccaneers first game against the Packers early this season, Evans only had one catch for 10 yards but they still won in a blowout, defeating the Packers 38-10. A win on Sunday would give Tampa Bay its second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

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