The Buccaneers are walking a tightrope in the NFC South, but at least the injury picture is finally starting to tilt their way. Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan returned to practice this week, though neither was expected to suit up against the Saints as Tampa Bay chooses caution over desperation.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has already indicated Evans has been targeting a Week 15 return, with the Thursday matchup against the Falcons or, at worst, Week 16 vs. Carolina circled as realistic dates as he works back from a broken clavicle that has limited him to 14 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown this season.
Now there is a stronger reason for optimism. As Rick Stroud relayed on X, head coach Todd Bowles said that Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and left tackle Tristan Wirfs are “in play” for Thursday night’s game against Atlanta. For a team trying to protect its division lead, that is as close to a late-season gift as you can reasonably hope for.
Evans’ potential return is huge on multiple levels. His ironman streak of 1,000-yard seasons appears all but finished, but his presence alone changes coverages and gives Baker Mayfield a true matchup-winner outside in what could be the receiver’s final year in Tampa.
Getting him back in time for a direct battle with the Falcons, the team most likely to steal the division, would be a massive competitive boost.
Wirfs’ status might be just as important. The All-Pro tackle has been dealing with an oblique issue and was expected to miss the Saints game, forcing Graham Barton to step in on the edge. If Wirfs can go on Thursday, it stabilizes the protection for Mayfield and the run game at a moment when every possession will matter.
Discipline has also been a subplot to Tampa Bay’s stretch run. The league recently fined Baker Mayfield $14,491 and Bucky Irving $6,349 for their Week 13 “nose wipe” celebration, classifying it as a “violent gesture.” What started as a cheeky bit of swagger turned into a costly reminder that style points can get flagged just as fast as late hits.
Add it all up, and Thursday in Atlanta is shaping up as a season-defining night: a healthier Evans, a possibly returning Wirfs, and a Bucs team that knows it needs wins, not fines, to finish off this division.
