The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be on a roll this season, but their quest hasn’t been without setbacks, most notably that of wide receiver Mike Evans. The veteran hasn’t played consistently for weeks since getting injured in Week 3.
While head coach Todd Bowles moved some pieces around to keep the boat afloat, let’s examine Evans’s injury situation and what exactly went down with the 32-year-old wide receiver.
Mike Evans Has Been Grappling With Multiple Injuries This Season
A nagging hamstring had kept Evans unproductive since their Week 3 game against the New York Jets. However, while he worked his way back by Week 7 versus the Detroit Lions, disaster struck again when he tried catching a deep ball from Baker Mayfield in the second quarter. Evans hit the turf hard, and trainers had to tend to him on the field.
Although he walked off the field on his own, Evans was ultimately carted to the locker room later. He was soon ruled out for the rest of the game with a concussion and shoulder injuries, with further imaging expected to determine exactly what was wrong.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported after the Bucs’ 24-9 loss to Detroit that the veteran wideout suffered a broken collarbone and is projected to miss significant time. This piled onto Tampa’s receiving corps troubles, as Chris Godwin has also been dealing with leg issues.
Evans was scheduled to undergo surgery on his collarbone that week, with an expected recovery timeline of eight weeks. Rookie Egbuka, ranked 24th on PFSN’s WR Impact metrics, is having a breakout season, capitalizing on the injury setbacks of Evans and Godwin. In eight games so far, he has recorded 34 catches for 562 yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging 16.5 yards per catch, with his longest gain being a 77-yarder.
Wide receivers Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson, and Ryan Miller add further depth to the Bucs’ receiving room. The squad is busy surmounting every challenge coming its way, and it’ll look to continue the momentum in Week 10 against the New England Patriots.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Insights for Week 10
Team: Tampa Bay is 4-1 in one-possession games
QB: Baker Mayfield’s QBi has dropped in the last two games, after posting a 66.2 (D) against the Lions and a 69.9 (D+) against the Saints.
Offense: Tampa Bay has scored six home touchdowns on offense, with four of them being at least 34 yards or longer.
Defense: The Buccaneers defense is on a roll with three straight DEFi grades of B- or better. This season, they are ranked 10th.
Fantasy: Baker Mayfield had arguably the worst game of his career before the bye, throwing for 152 scoreless yards, posting 4.08 fantasy points. Since signing with Tampa Bay in 2023, Mayfield has never gone consecutive games with zero touchdown passes. The Patriots employ a pass-funnel defense.
