- Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans suffered a broken collarbone during the Week 7 ‘Monday Night Football’ game.
- Evans is expected to miss most of the remainder of the 2025 season, with a potential return in six-to-eight weeks at the earliest.
- The injury will likely end Evans’ record-tying streak of 11 consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might need some bubble wrap for their receiver room.
Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan have all dealt with various ailments in the 2025 season – and that doesn’t even include Bucky Irving’s absence at running back. Despite that, the Buccaneers have navigated all of the injuries to a 5-2 record.
That road ahead is set to get a little more difficult, however.
Tampa Bay was able to look forward to Evans’ return, which finally came on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 7. It was far from triumphant though, as the receiver exited before halftime with two new injuries to add to the list.
These issues promise to sideline Evans for much longer and likely took the star’s chance at making history with it. Here’s the latest on the Buccaneers’ receiver.
How long is Mike Evans out?
Evans is set to miss most of the season due to the broken collarbone injury he suffered on Monday night.
‘He’ll be out mostly toward the end of the year,’ head coach Todd Bowles announced after the game. ‘We’ll see what happens.’
While there is no set timeline for his return, the hope is that Evans could miss six-to-eight weeks, according to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. That would put him on track to return in Week 14 at the earliest.
Evans has been remarkably durable during his career, never missing more than three games in any of his first 11 seasons. He will already hit that mark by Week 8 during his 12th season, having already missed three contests due to a hamstring strain.
If there is some good news in all of this for the Buccaneers, it’s that Evans could return in time for the playoffs. Considering the mileage on the 32-year-old’s legs, he could be fresh for a potential run in the postseason.
Mike Evans injury update
Evans was diagnosed with a broken collarbone.
The receiver was carted off the field after appearing to haul in a catch during the second quarter. Evans dropped the ball after landing hard on the ground, remaining down after the play.
He walked off the field under his own power, but was later carted to the locker room.
Tampa Bay promptly ruled out its star receiver with a concussion and shoulder injury.
Mike Evans 1,000-yard streak
Evans’ streak of 1,000-yard receiving seasons is set to come to an end.
The receiver tied Jerry Rice with 11 consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards in 2024, the longest streak in NFL history.
Evans has just 140 receiving yards through four games, meaning he will finish with fewer than 1,000 yards for the first time in his 12-year career.
Adding insult to injury, Evans lost a lot more than game reps on Monday night. He also lost his chance at history, barring multiple record-setting performances if he returns late in the season.
Flipper Anderson owns the record for most receiving yards in a game with 336, which he set as a member of the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 26, 1989. Calvin Johnson came the closest in recent history, finishing with 329 yards for the Detroit Lions on Oct. 27, 2013.
Evans is currently 860 yards away from setting the record, meaning he would almost certainly need to top that in order to make history – in more ways than one.
Buccaneers WR depth chart
- Chris Godwin (injured)
- Emeka Egbuka
- Sterling Shepard
- Tez Johnson
- Kameron Johnson
- Ryan Miller
Egbuka’s emergence as a rookie has been a big reason for the team’s success and it’s a mystery where the Buccaneers would be without him. His role will only take on more significance following the injury to Evans and uncertainty of Godwin going forward.
Johnson has also stepped up in recent weeks, giving Tampa another reliable weapon in the passing attack.
While no one wants to lose stars to injury, the Buccaneers are better equipped to handle it than most teams.