Mike Evans to represent Buccaneers in Pro Bowl Skills Showdown

When the 2019 Pro Bowl rosters were initially announced, the Buccaneers didn’t have any representatives, though Mike Evans and Jason Pierre-Paul were named as alternates. Earlier this month, Evans was named as a replacement for Atlanta’s Julio Jones. Now, Evans will compete in Thursday night’s Pro Bowl Skills Showdown in addition to playing in Sunday’s game.

Evans joins Ryan Kerrigan, Bobby Wagner, Adam Thielen, George Kittle, Saquon Barkley, Russell Wilson, Cameron Jordan, Mitchell Trubisky and Akiem Hicks on the NFC side. That group will be coached by NFL legends Emmitt Smith and Brian Urlacher.

NFL.com outlined some of the events in this year’s skills challenge in their own breakdown of the rosters:

This year’s competition -- er, showdown -- includes the 40 Yard Splash (“a new challenge that puts teamwork to the test as players participate in a football-inspired take on a fire bucket brigade”), Gridiron Gauntlet (a football-inspired relay race), Precision Passing (self-explanatory), Best Hands (you get the drift), and EPIC PRO BOWL DODGEBALL (presented by Skittles).

This is Evans’ second Pro Bowl, making him the first receiver in franchise history to earn multiple selections. He caught 86 passes for 1,524 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018, totaling eight 100-yard games and a career-high 17.7 yards per catch.

Thursday’s Pro Bowl Skills Showdown will air at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The Pro Bowl, also televised by ESPN, is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Both events are being held in Orlando for the third straight year.