TAMPA, Fla. US NEWS: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers received a major boost to their offense Wednesday when the team officially activated All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans from injured reserve, setting the stage for a possible return on a short week against the Atlanta Falcons.
Evans has missed the past six games after suffering a fractured collarbone in the Monday Night Football loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 7. The injury required surgery, but medical reports at the time described it as a clean break with an expected recovery window of roughly eight weeks. That timeline has held steady, with no setbacks reported along the way.
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The Buccaneers opened Evans’ 21-day practice window on December 3. He has participated on a limited basis every day since, including this week’s preparations for Thursday Night Football. Tampa Bay also activated rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan from injured reserve Wednesday, giving the receiving corps two significant additions in the same day.
As of Wednesday evening, head coach Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers had not publicly declared Evans active for the divisional showdown with the 4-9 Falcons. The final decision could come down to pregame warmups, with the official inactive list expected about ninety minutes before the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
Tampa Bay enters the game at 7-6 and currently holds first place in the NFC South, although the surging Carolina Panthers own an identical record. The Buccaneers also sit in the fourth seed in the conference playoff race, making every remaining contest critical.
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Even without Evans, the offense has managed to stay competitive thanks to increased roles for rookies Emeka Egbuka and Tez Johnson, steady veteran production from Sterling Shepard, and the gradual return of Chris Godwin from his own injury. Godwin has played the last three games but has yet to exceed a seventy percent snap share in any of them.
Evans remains the clear No. 1 option in the passing game whenever healthy. His potential return tonight would give quarterback Baker Mayfield his most dangerous weapon back at a pivotal moment in the season.
Fans and fantasy managers alike will be watching the inactive report closely. If Evans is cleared to play, expect him to be on a pitch count in his first action in two months.