Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield looked dazed as wide receiver Mike Evans grimaced on the ground in the second quarter against the Detroit Lions on Monday. Evans suffered a collarbone injury and could be out for at least two months, a gut-punch to the Buccaneers' campaign.
Evans caught a deep pass from Mayfield when cornerback Rock Ya-Sin tackled him. Evans, who also had a concussion, hit his head hard on the turf. He was eventually carted off to the locker room.
The Buccaneers lost to the Lions, 24-9, and fell to 5-2.
Mayfield sounded glum as he talked to reporters after the game about Evans' sorry setback.
“Obviously, for the team, it's not great, but for him, I hate it. You know, I've seen him work each day in person, whether he's healthy or hurt,” said the 30-year-old Mayfield in the video posted by Buccaneers reporter River Wells.
“It sucks. You never want to see that, whether it's a teammate or not, but especially if it's Mike. It's unfortunate, but guys are trying to step up.”
Here’s Baker Mayfield on Mike Evans’ injury, mentioning that it’s bad for the team but he hates it for the person pic.twitter.com/VcbqukQ4N8
— River Wells (@riverhwells) October 21, 2025
It was Evans' first game back from a hamstring injury he sustained in Week 3. Now, the 32-year-old Pro Bowler will be sidelined for an even longer period, leaving Mayfield with one less dependable target.
Several NFL insiders said Evans could return near the end of the regular season, which should give him ample time to re-acclimatize with the Buccaneers before the playoffs if they're in the position to qualify.
Tampa Bay will return to action against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
