Evans thought Brady was 'trolling' with text message on day of QB's return

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans thought Tom Brady was kidding around when he sent him a cryptic message on the day the quarterback announced he was unretiring.

"He text me and he sent me an article where his (last touchdown) ball sold for over 500 grand, the last touchdown that I threw in the stands against the Rams. He's like 'that's a lot of tuition money,' and I just laughed," Evans said to Ari Alexander of KPRC2. "I said in my defense, I didn't know you were going to retire right there, and he just sent back a laughing emoji, saying 'there's more touchdowns in our future.'

"So, I'm just thinking that he's trolling me or I don't know what he's talking about. A few hours later, it's announced that he's coming back and I was happy."

Brady retired shortly after the Bucs' playoff loss to the Rams. However, he sent shockwaves through the NFL by announcing his return less than two months later.

The 44-year-old has built a great rapport with Evans, especially in the end zone. Evans caught a career-high 14 touchdowns last season from Brady while the veteran passer also finished with a personal-best 5,316 passing yards.