The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ and New York Jets’ Week 3 game was hectic. Both teams experienced referees littering the field with flags in the first quarter, a pick-six followed by a hilarious Vita Vea celebration, and quite a few injuries. The Buccaneers suffered a massive loss to their offense, with Mike Evans limping to the locker room with a hamstring injury.
What Happened to Mike Evans?
Evans left the game with a hamstring issue. He went straight to the locker room and was not moving well while heading there.
Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles confirmed on Monday that Evans will have his MRI on Tuesday. “Todd Bowles says Mike Evans will get an MRI on his injured hamstring on Tuesday,” wrote Buccaneers insider Scott Smith. “The team believes it is a low-grade injury, but more tests will reveal the extent of it.
Evans’ injury is a big blow to the Buccaneers’ receiving room, but Chris Godwin is expected to return soon to help ease the blow.
On Tuesday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport confirmed that Evans will miss time due to his injury. “Mike Evans, who left Sunday’s dramatic win with a hamstring injury, had an MRI that revealed he’s out multiple weeks, per The Insiders,” Rapoport wrote. “But it’s not as bad as last year when he missed four weeks. Solid news.”
“Mike Evans will miss 3-4 weeks with a moderate hamstring strain,” Buccaneers insider Rick Stroud said. “The injury is similar in severity to the one that forced him to miss three games last season. It means the earliest Evans could return would be vs the Lions Oct. 30.”
Here are the Buccaneers’ next four games:
- Week 4: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks
- Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Week 7: at Detroit Lions
Evans scored his first touchdown of the 2025 season against the Jets and was poised to replicate another consistent performance from Evans. He had five receptions in his first two games and had four receptions for 33 yards before exiting the game.
Evans has started his career with 11 straight 1,000+ receiving yard seasons. This streak could be in jeopardy this season as he will be out for multiple games.
The Buccaneers are 3-0, and if they keep winning, rushing Evans back won’t be in their best interest, as keeping him healthy for the later parts of the season will be more critical.
Tampa Bay will be in safe enough hands with Emeka Egbuka showing plenty of promise in his first three games in the NFL. If his production continues, he will find himself in Offensive Rookie of the Year conversations with a good chance to potentially win it. Godwin is also expected to play next week, which gives Baker Mayfield another weapon on the outside.
Evans is undoubtedly a significant loss, but the Buccaneers have the players to replace his production. They are among the best teams in the NFL right now, and there’s no team better at late-game drives in 2025 than Tampa Bay.
