Subscribe
Follow Us
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without star wide receiver Mike Evans for at least the next three weeks and possibly longer, dealing a huge blow to a team also still reeling from the possibly season-ending injury of Chris Godwin.
Both Evans and Godwin went down during Tampa Bay's 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on ‘Monday Night Football' a few days ago. While Godwin suffered a gruesome lower leg injury in the last minute of the game, Evans aggravated a hamstring injury he entered the game with during the second quarter.
Evans, the Buccaneers' leading receiver in touchdown catches this season, has not been placed on injured reserve (IR), but he is expected to miss almost as many games as if he were on IR. Although the exact diagnosis will come at some point today.
“Bucs WR Mike Evans is undergoing an MRI today on his hamstring to help determine the severity of the injury, per source,” ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “HC Todd Bowles said Tuesday that he is not expecting Evans back until after the Buccaneers’ week 11 bye.”
Mike Evans injury a big blow to Buccaneers ahead of crucial stretch in schedule
If Evans comes back for the first game after the bye — Nov. 24 at the New York Giants — that means the talented wideout will have missed three consecutive games (vs. Atlanta, at Kansas City, and vs. San Francisco), one less than he would be forced to sit out if he was placed on IR, which mandates a four-game absence.
There seems to be no guarantee that Evans will, in fact, return for the Giants game, though. Soft-tissue injuries, particularly hamstrings, are notoriously difficult to predict and rehab, especially in season. But the Buccaneers need the hope of a speedy recovery for Evans, who has recorded 26 catches for 335 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024.
Mike Evans appeared to reaggravate the hamstring injury he was already playing with. He was able to walk off the field to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/ZnViE0C2r4
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 22, 2024
Without Evans or Godwin, the Bucs quarterback will have to look even more toward tight end Cade Otton and Jalen McMillan, as well as the likes of Sterling Shepard and Trey Palmer.
So far this season, Mayfield has thrown for a league-leading 1,859 yards and 18 touchdowns. Unfortunately for him, Evans and Godwin accounted for 46% of his completions, 49% of his yards, and 61% of his passing touchdowns. After the pair of star wide receivers, Otton is the only other Tampa Bay player to be targeted more than 25 times this season.
While it would not be surprising if the Buccaneers opted to trade for a wide receiver or two despite head coach Todd Bowles' comments otherwise, they will need to do so before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. And they will likely need to do it even quicker than that, considering other teams' similar needs for wide receivers; in fact, the Chiefs, who the Bucs play in two weeks, traded for Titans wideout DeAndre Hopkins today. The 49ers, Tampa Bay's Week 10 opponent, are also likely suitors for wide receivers after numerous injuries to some of their top playmakers.
The immediate focus, however, is this weekend's opponent: the Falcons. A win for Tampa would give the team sole possession of first place in the NFC South, while a loss would allow the Falcons, who already beat the Buccaneers in an overtime thriller three-and-a-half weeks ago, to ascend to the top of the division. With the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers skidding to another losing season, it would appear as if Tampa and Atlanta are the only contenders for the NFC South title, making Sunday's game all that more important.
Kickoff between the Buccaneers and Falcons is set for 1 p.m. in Tampa.
