After going down with a hamstring injury in Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans reportedly will miss at least three games before getting the chance to return to the field, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times previously noted the Bucs don’t plan on placing Evans on injured reserve.
Evans was dealing with a hamstring strain entering Monday night’s game, but he was deemed healthy enough to play. He caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, making him the 11th player in NFL history with 100 career receiving touchdowns.
In the second quarter, Mayfield tried to find Evans for another touchdown pass, but the veteran wideout couldn’t hold onto the pass as he fell to the ground and grabbed the back of his leg in pain. He walked to the sideline with trainers before going back to the locker room and being ruled out for the rest of the game. The Bucs suffered a 41-31 loss to fall to 4-3 this season.
In addition to Evans’ injury, Tampa Bay’s receiving corps took another hit when Chris Godwin suffered what head coach Todd Bowles said was a dislocated ankle late in the game.
“Our prayers go out to him,” Bowles said of Godwin after the game. “Chris is a hell of a player and a hell of a human being. Not much you can say. You feel bad for him, and unfortunately, they’re not going to cancel the games. We got to step up and move on. But our hearts are heavy.”
Without Evans and Godwin, Mayfield will rely on the likes of Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan in Tampa Bay’s passing attack.
The Bucs will face the Atlanta Falcons (4-3) with first place in the NFC South on the line on Sunday.