Mike Evans set new standards for responding to trash talk as the San Francisco 49ers secured a 32-29 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5. The wide receiver didn’t throw punches or slam back at a trash-talking Trevon Diggs. Instead, he grabbed the cornerback by the shoulders and peeked behind his jersey to identify him.
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It happened right after Brock Purdy got sacked in the second quarter and Diggs jawed at the receiver. Well, Evans literally didn’t know that it was Diggs who was bad-mouthing the 33-year-old wideout. Yet, the act quickly went viral on the internet, and fans poured in praise for the receiver for the way he humiliated a trash-talker, who ended up shoving Evans in frustration. But Evans wasn’t satisfied.
He later suggested that the NFL should have put a penalty on Diggs for the way he acted after he took a look at the back of his jersey. As he explained in the postgame press conference: “I was blocking him until the whistle, and then he said something like I’m doing extra, or something like that.
“I didn’t know that was him at first, ‘cause I played against him a few times and we always been cool. He was a good player. I honestly didn’t know it was him, ‘cause in the helmet, it’s hard to tell sometimes. And we were talking trash and I think I pushed him and then, I was like, ‘Who are you?’ I looked and made sure. I was like, ‘Oh, it’s f—ing Diggs!’ And then he mushed me. That should have been a penalty… It is what it is.”
According to the NFL’s rules, unsportsmanlike conduct includes pushing, shoving, or confronting an opponent provocatively. It also includes using abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures toward opponents. Unsportsmanlike conduct can draw a 15-yard penalty. And if the defense does it, the offense automatically gets a first down. To make things worse, the league can also disqualify the player if an official witnesses the action and deems it flagrant.
But for Evans, recognizing Diggs was genuinely difficult because of the helmet. Furthermore, Diggs wasn’t wearing his usual No. 7 jersey (which he wore during his Dallas stint). He has been wearing the No. 16 jersey for the Seahawks. Yet, Evans’ actions received much praise from the NFL community.
“Mike Evans Checking to see the name on the back of the Jersey is an all-time Gif and trash talk moment that I wish I would have thought of,” Richard Sherman, a trash-talking legend in the NFL, wrote on X.
Ultimately, it was Evans who had the last laugh. Following the interaction with Diggs, he went on to catch for an additional 75 yards, bringing his total to 113 receiving yards. He also scored one touchdown and ensured success on a two-point conversion.
Meanwhile, Diggs narrowly escaped a possible penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, at least for now.