Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans entrenched himself in NFL history by ripping off 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards. It has helped make his case for Canton, and the Buccaneers have made every effort to keep that streak alive.
Fate would stop it from reaching 12. In Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, Evans broke his collarbone and suffered a concussion, forcing him out of action, unofficially ending his streak, and putting his 2025 season in doubt.
Ahead of Week 13, head coach Todd Bowles gave a brief update on Evans’ status.
Mike Evans Injury Update
Evans has missed five weeks with this collarbone injury, including the team’s Week 9 bye. Tampa has unsurprisingly struggled in his absence, losing each of its last three games and loosening its grip on an NFC South lead.
Fellow wide receiver Jalen McMillan has also missed extensive time, going down in the preseason with a neck injury. Star defensive tackle Calijah Kancey joined him on injured reserve soon after, suffering a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2.
While their seasons were once presumed to be over, Bowles expressed optimism about that trio returning to action and helping the Buccaneers in the home stretch.
“All of them, J-Mac, Mike, and Kancey, have been working out and running, training hard, and working to get back. Sprint-wise, they are doing well, but other than that, we will have to see. I think they’ll all be back before the season’s out, but I just can’t tell you when,” Bowles told reporters.
It isn’t immediately clear when each would be activated, but Tampa can certainly use the help. Injuries to running back Bucky Irving, cornerback Jamel Dean, and now quarterback Baker Mayfield have put the Buccaneers behind the eight ball.
At 6-5, there is little breathing room, especially with the Carolina Panthers (6-6) exceeding expectations. They’ll enter Week 13’s clash against the Arizona Cardinals hoping for better injury news.
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Still, Bowles has his eye on late-January football, and merely getting into the playoffs would open the door for these stars to make an outsized impact.
Evans logged 14 receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown in his four games this season; he also missed time due to a hamstring injury before Week 7. While 1,000 yards is all but out of the picture, he can still complement rookie Emeka Egbuka and provide potency in the red zone.
His effectiveness, however, remains in question. In his limited action, Evans ranked 69th of 88 qualified receivers by PFSN’s Wide Receiver Impact metric.
With six games to play, Tampa is fortunate not to have to face a team that (currently) has a winning record. Perhaps that will afford Evans a softer landing spot, allowing him to ramp up before postseason play.
