The Buccaneers’ offense got off to a H๏τ start against the Ravens on Monday night, but one play quickly shifted momentum toward Baltimore in more ways than one.
What was nearly Tampa Bay’s second touchdown of the night couldn’t be brought in by WR Mike Evans in the second quarter. To make matters worse, Evans immediately reached for his hamstring when he landed in the back of the end zone.
Evans has been one of the NFL’s most durable players over the past decade, but he entered Monday’s contest already nursing a hamstring ailment and certainly appeared to aggravate the issue.
Here are the latest updates on Evans’ hamstring injury after he exited against the Ravens.
Evans was ruled out for the remainder of the game shortly after going down with a hamstring injury. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, but the ESPN broadcast reported he was in so much pain that he struggled to put his shoe on after the injury.
Evans spent the past week battling a hamstring issue, but he played his typical role in the Buccaneers’ offense — even hauling in his 100th career touchdown — before he and Ravens CB Brandon Stephens went down in the end zone.
The Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reported Tuesday that the Buccaneers aren’t planning to place Evans on IR, but the receiver is still expected to miss the team’s next three games leading up to the bye. Currently, Tampa Bay has a short week to prepare for a key NFC South matchup with the Falcons.
The team’s bye doesn’t come until Week 11, and the stretch leading up to it isn’t easy. After the Falcons, the Buccaneers will travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs on “Monday Night Football” followed by a date with the 49ers at home.
The Buccaneers’ schedule is much lighter after the bye, but the potential multi-week absence for Evans could put them at a disadvantage in the standings.
Evans played at least 15 games in nine of his first 10 NFL seasons, appearing in all 17 games for Tampa Bay last season. His streak of 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons would be in serious jeopardy with the reported time he could miss, as he was already on pace to finish under 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.
Buccaneers WR depth chart
| WR | Player |
| 1 | Mike Evans |
| 2 | Chris Godwin |
| 3 | Sterling Shepard |
| 4 | Jalen McMillan |
| 5 | Trey Palmer |
Evans and Godwin have remained far and away the top wide receivers in Baker Mayfield’s arsenal, so Evans’ absence is set to open up some opportunities.
Former Giants WR Sterling Shepard has seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown on the year, making a small resurgence after an injury-riddled end to his tenure in New York. Beyond him, receiver usage elsewhere on the depth chart has been scarce. Rookie Jalen McMillan has only three catches on the year, while Trey Palmer has four catches on six targets. Each has scored a touchdown.
Mayfield has preferred to throw to running backs Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and even Sean Tucker over receivers not named Evans or Godwin, with TE Cade Otton the most targeted player outside the pair. Any time missed by Evans could force one of the Buccaneers’ sparingly-used receivers into a more prominent role.
