The snakebitten Buccaneers offense took one other significant hit this evening. Mike Evans suffered a broken clavicle during tonight’s loss, coach Todd Bowles told reporters (via Greg Auman of FOX Sports). The injury is predicted to sideline the wide receiver for nearly all of the season, per James Palmer of The Athletic.
“He’ll be out mostly toward the top of the 12 months,” Bowles told reporters (via Auman). “We’ll see what happens.”
Fortunately, it appears like Bowles can have been estimating the worst-case scenario. Jordan Schultz reports that the wideout’s initial timeline is six to eight weeks, which might give him a few games before the playoffs.
This can be a brutal blow for the veteran, who was just getting back from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the apst three games. Evans suffered this latest injury in the primary half of tonight’s game after nearly hauling in a deep pass from Baker Mayfield. The receiver stayed on the bottom for a couple of moments before heading to the sideline. Evans was later carted to the locker room, with reports indicating he had suffered a shoulder injury and a concussion. The 32-year-old was held and not using a catch on 4 targets.
With Evans expected to miss much of the remaining of the season, his historic streak of 11 straight seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards will come to an end. The receiver has also averaged greater than 11 touchdowns per season over the past five years. In 4 games this season, the veteran has hauled in 14 catches for 140 yards and a rating.
The Buccaneers’ offense has handled its fair proportion of injuries in 2025. Chris Godwin didn’t make his season debut until Week 4 after rehabbing the fractured ankle he suffered through the 2024 campaign. Godwin got into two games before suffering a fibula injury that’s sidelined him for the past two weeks. The Buccaneers have also been without Jalen McMillan, who finished his rookie season with 500 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Even running back Bucky Irving has missed a handful of games while coping with foot and shoulder issues.
In consequence of the injuries, the Buccaneers have needed to lean on their depth. First rounder Emeka Egbuka has stepped up, hauling in 31 catches for 527 yards and five touchdowns. The rookie was questionable for tonight’s game with a hamstring injury but ended up being lively. Seventh-round rookie Tez Johnson has hauled in scores in back-to-back weeks, while Sterling Shepard and Kameron Johnson proceed to get offensive looks.
Still, while the Buccaneers have managed to get some offensive production elsewhere, the team will certainly miss Evans because the season goes on. It appeared like Bowles didn’t dismiss a late-season return, so so long as the Buccaneers can remain within the hunt, there’s a likelihood they’ll get their WR leader back on the sphere before the postseason.
Egbuka not missing any games as a result of his hamstring issue giving the team a rare break at this injury-battered position. With Godwin uncertain moving forward, the Bucs might want to lean on their first-round pick. McMillan isn’t due back until a minimum of December. While Tampa Bay could have its full receiver arsenal back by the vacations, the team might want to each lean on Egbuka and hope Godwin — who was not placed on the reserve/PUP list to begin the season and has avoided IR related to his current injury — can return soon.
As for Evans, this deals a little bit of a blow to his free agency stock. Playing an age-32 season, the likely Hall of Fame-bound pass catcher is on an expiring contract. He agreed to a two-year, $41MM deal just before free agency in 2024; although the Bucs have a well-established track record of re-signing key players shortly before free agency or early through the legal tampering period, the Egbuka pick and three-year, $66MM Godwin accord complicate Evans’ Tampa future. Evans also missed three games as a result of hamstring trouble in 2024.
Evans also said he’ll consider retirement after this season. Loads of variables exist for the Bucs at wide receiver, however the team should still be well positioned by the top of the regular season.