Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans left Sunday’s game against the New York Jets after tweaking his hamstring in the fourth quarter. Early reports from head coach Todd Bowles were that the injury was thought to be “low-grade,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and after receiving the MRI results Tuesday morning, the Bucs now know they’ll be without Evans for multiple weeks.
This hamstring injury doesn’t seem to be as bad as the one that caused Evans to miss time on the field last season but the timeline for his recovery has not been determined as of yet.
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Evans limped off he field in the fourth quarter of the Buccaneers’ win over the Jets and did not return. The six-time Pro Bowler has a history of hamstring injuries, having missed three games last season after injuring his right hamstring against Baltimore. Last year, it was Evans’ right hamstring, the same one he hurt in 2019 when he also missed three games.
This time, Evans injured his left hamstring, but the team is likely to proceed with caution since he’s had an issue with these injuries in the past.
A model of consistency and dependability is what Evans has been for the Buccaneers organization since he was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Already this season, Evans has 14 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown, which he caught in Sunday’s victory.
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In his first 11 seasons in the NFL, Evans has racked up at least 1,004 receiving yards every year. He’s never appeared in fewer than 13 regular-season games and has caught double-digit touchdown passes in six of his 11 seasons. Evans was a huge part of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl run in 2020, becoming Tom Brady’s safety blanket and No. 1 target.
With Evans out of the lineup, more of the receiving load will fall on rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka and veteran Sterling Shepard. Chris Godwin Jr. could also make his season debut in Week 4 after recovering from a serious ankle injury suffered in Week 7 last season. Egbuka has managed 181 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the first three games of the season.
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Evans is the Buccaneers’ all-time leading scorer and is in his 12th NFL season.
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