The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 7-5 heading into a Week 14 matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Injuries have plagued Tampa this season, even with Baker Mayfield not missing time with a shoulder injury. Wide receiver injuries have been particularly frequent for the Bucs. But the Buccaneers are getting Mike Evans back at practice on Wednesday from his Week 7 clavicle injury.
“Sources: Bucs legendary WR Mike Evans is having his practice window opened off IR, and he’ll return to practice today. A quicker than expected return from a broken clavicle, Evans has been medically cleared. So Jalen McMillan and Evans practice today,” NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported.
The Buccaneers have not had a fully healthy Chris Godwin all year, have only gotten two full games out of Evans, and have been without Jalen McMillan. Injury returns could have a massive impact on the NFC South race with the Carolina Panthers. The Bucs have a half-game advantage as Carolina hits their Week 14 bye. That makes this Saints game even bigger.
In Week 18 last season, Evans tied Jerry Rice in the record books with his 11th consecutive season with over 1,000 yards. He only needed 14 games to get there because of injuries last year. But with only five games to go and no guarantee he plays in Week 14, Evans needs 860 yards to break the record. While the Rice record is gone, Evans can still make an impact on the Buccaneers this season.
Evans is a Super Bowl Champion, winning with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in February 2021. Five years later, he has another strong team, but they don't have the signature wins the title team had. If Mayfield is healthy and his wide receivers are back, they will have a chance at the NFC title, even in a strong conference.
The Buccaneers and Saints kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
