Pro Football Rumors
When the Buccaneers saw veteran wide receiver Mike Evans return to practice this week for the first time since suffering a broken clavicle in October, many anticipated seeing him come off of injured reserve this weekend. Unfortunately, after a series of limited practices, Evans was ultimately ruled out for Week 14, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter assured us today that an Evans return to play is on the horizon.
Per Schefter, Evans has been “pushing to play as soon as” Tampa Bay’s Week 15 matchup with the Falcons on Thursday. His return to practice five days ago opened up a 21-day practice window, but he can be activated at any point over those three weeks. Many expected that, once he returned to practice, he would quickly get back in football shape and return, but it seems a more realistic date required at least a few more days of practice.
If Evans is unable to make his return after the short week in the coming days, the team’s Week 16 trip to Carolina would be the next more reasonable, realistic date. Evans’ window would close three days after that game, at which point, the 32-year-old pass catcher would need to be activated for the final two games of the regular season and a postseason run or be reverted to season-ending IR.
The Buccaneers are fully in the playoff race at present, as they sit tied with the Panthers for the division lead at 7-6. They’ll play Carolina twice in the last three weeks of the season, and winning those two games alone would be enough to secure their berth in postseason play. Getting Evans back at any point before the postseason could do wonders for a Tampa Bay team that has overcome a litany of injuries en route to their current situation. If Evans has his say, though, we’ll see him suit up as early as Thursday.
