In a thrilling Thursday night football game, Mike Evans once again found himself in the spotlight for an unexpected reason. You’d think he would have learned his lesson after accidentally giving away Tom Brady’s 600th career passing touchdown ball to a fan. However, history seemed to repeat itself last night.
Evans caught a 23-yard strike from Baker Mayfield, marking his 100th career touchdown. This achievement places him among an elite group of only 25 players in NFL history to reach this milestone, and he is the only active player with 100 career touchdowns. Despite this remarkable feat, Evans, seemingly unaware of the significance, tossed the ball to a fan as if it were any other touchdown.
In Evans’ defense, this was technically his 99th career receiving touchdown, with the other coming from a fumble recovery return. Perhaps he is saving the next touchdown ball he actually catches. Regardless, a lucky fan now possesses a valuable piece of memorabilia.
The game itself was a high-scoring shootout, with both offenses firing on all cylinders. Evans finished the night with five catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Despite his efforts, the Falcons emerged victorious in overtime. They won the coin toss, and Kirk Cousins connected with Cadero Hos for a walk-off 45-yard touchdown, sealing one of the most exciting Thursday night games in recent memory.
Reflecting on the game, one can’t help but wonder if Evans will be asking for that ball back. If you were the fan who caught it, would you return it?
Interestingly, this incident brings to mind another recent sports story. In baseball, Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball was caught by a fan. The Dodgers offered $300,000 for it, but the fan declined, and now the ball is up for auction. Adding to the drama, a second fan is suing for ownership. Sports memorabilia certainly has a way of creating unexpected stories!
What do you think about Evans’ milestone and the fan who caught the ball? Would you have kept it or returned it?
