The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared poised to run through the 2025 season after a 5-1 start, but things have slowed down in a hurry. A 1-3 stretch since then has brought them back to the pack, and the long list of injuries at wide receiver has been a big part of the problem.
When Will Jalen McMillan Return to the Field?
The wide receiver room, in particular, has been hit hard by injuries. Mike Evans will be out for the majority of the season, while Chris Godwin has only played in two games so far. Jalen McMillan, who impressed in 2024, has not played yet; however, there is a positive development regarding his potential return.
Head coach Todd Bowles recently stressed that the team would be cautious with McMillan due to the nature of his injury. “It’s a neck injury. And those, like you said, it’s a life thing if it doesn’t heal the right way. So they’re saying it’s healing the right way,” Bowles explained on a recent podcast appearance.
However, on Thursday, McMillan was spotted at practice without his neck brace. Bucs insider Greg Auman notes that this is an encouraging sign as McMillan targets a return sometime in December.
McMillan suffered a neck injury during the preseason. Things went from bad to worse when it was revealed that the receiver broke multiple bones in his neck and would have to wear a brace for an extended period. It is encouraging that McMillan is now out of the brace, which hopefully means his recovery is going well.
As a rookie in 2024, McMillan played in 13 games, catching 37 passes for 461 yards and eight touchdowns. PFSN’s WR Impact metric gave McMillan a C- grade for his performance in his debut season.
The team expected McMillan to take a step forward in 2025 and combine with Emeka Egbuka to form an explosive, young receiver duo. With that in mind, his absence has been felt all over the offense.
Unfortunately, McMillan’s injury, along with the absence of Evans and Godwin, has forced Egbuka to shoulder most of the load for the offense. Egbuka has 45 catches for 717 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, and no other Bucs receiver has 350 yards.
McMillan’s return would give Baker Mayfield another target as the Bucs try to snap out of their slump. The team’s next game is another tough one, as they face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12. The Rams will enter the game with an 8-2 record, while the Bucs are 6-4.
The Washington product won’t return this month, but if he’s targeting a December return, he could be around for some important games. Three of the Bucs’ four games in December are against NFC South opponents.
Ahead of the game against the Rams, NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported that McMillan is expected to return “in the coming weeks.”
Buccaneers’ Insights for Week 12
Team: Tampa Bay is finishing a stretch of four out of five games on the road. They defeated the Saints, but have lost to the Lions and Bills.
QB: Baker Mayfield has graded at a B- or better twice this season after having nine games at that level in the 2024 regular season.
Offense: Tampa Bay’s season OFFi is 73.4 (C), ranks 17th in the NFL. Last season, the Buccaneers were 3rd with an 89.0 (B) OFFi score.
Defense: The Buccaneers had a 66.9 (D) DEFi score vs the Bills last week. It’s the second lowest, behind a 59.1 (F) registered in a 38-35 win over Seattle in Week 5.
Fantasy: Sean Tucker will be a top waiver wire add this week. He is coming off 34 fantasy points and an overall RB2 weekly finish. The Rams allow the third fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
Love how out of touch some of these reporters are on the material they are reporting. Mike Evans is not out for the season. He is expected back in December. He will most likely play in one or both of the last two regular season games and will almost certainly play in the playoffs if they are in it.