The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have battled adversity all season long to claw to 5-2. Unfortunately, it culminated in a 24-9 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football, failing to put up 10 points as WR1 Mike Evans went down with a serious injury.
Injuries continue to pile up for Tampa Bay, and the situation has worsened. After returning from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for three weeks, Mike Evans suffered a new, serious injury that will now keep him out indefinitely.
We'll give you the latest updates on Mike Evans injury he suffered on Monday Night. How long will he be out for? Let's get into the latest news.
Mike Evans Injury Update: How Long Will Bucs WR Be Out For?
It looks like Mike Evans' 1,000-yard season streak will be coming to an end, as he is now expected to miss most of the 2025 season with a broken collarbone.
It all happened on Monday Night Football, as Bucs QB Baker Mayfield made a perfect downfield throw to Evans that looked destined to be an amazing catch, but instead resulted in a devastating injury.
Tampa’s star WR remained down for several minutes before being helped off the field, then later being carter off the sideline.
It has been reported that the future Hall of Fame WR suffered a broken collarbone and will be out “mostly toward the end of the year." Mike Floria of ProFootballTalk reported that we will not see Evans again this season.
This is a major blow to a Bucs team that carried high expectations into its Week 7 matchup with Detroit.
This entire offense was already banged up, and now it’s that much worse heading into Week 8 against New Orleans, with WR Chris Godwin still sidelined.
Tampa Bay Bucs WR Depth Chart
This Bucs WR corps has been dealing with numerous injuries throughout the season. Tampa WR Chris Godwin looked like he was making his way back to health after dislocating his ankle in 2024, but he was ruled out for Week 7.
Godwin is now "getting better" and but is still uncertain to play in Week 8.
Also, WR Emeka Egbuka was dealing with a hamstring injury — he ultimately played against Detroit but struggled and appeared limited.
Let’s take a look at what this Bucs WR depth chart looks like:
- WR1: Mike Evans - Out indefinitelly
- WR2: Chris Godwin - injured (TBD)
- WR3: Emeka Egbuka
- WR4: Sterling Shepard
- WR5: Tez Johnson
- WR6: Kameron Johnson
- WR7: Ryan Miller
Tampa Bay Bucs WRs: Fantasy Football Outlook
Tampa could be without its two top pass catchers in their Week 8 showdown with divisional rivals, the New Orleans Saints, on a short week.
Evans has already been ruled out, and status is still up in the air. Luckily, they have Egbuka.
Rookie WR Emeka Egbuka has been a revelation for this Bucs offense so far this season. Even in a down game in Week 7, he still has 27 receptions for 469 yards and 5 TDs on the season.
The former Ohio State Buckeye isn’t the only rookie making his mark with his opportunities. Rookie seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson has emerged as a downfield threat — in his last three games, he’s compiled 9 receptions for 162 yards and 2 TDs.
Also, veteran WR Sterling Shepard continues to produce in an expanded role — he has 13 receptions for 100 yards and 1 TD in his last three games.
Lastly, TE Cade Otton became a key target when Baker Mayfield was under pressure on Monday night, with 7 receptions for 65 yards on 9 targets.
With a matchup looming against the Saints, the Bucs WR corps has a nice bounce-back opportunity. In the last two weeks, New Orleans has given up 21 receptions on 33 targets (63% catch rate) for 325 yards and 3 TDs to opposing WRs.
This puts Egbuka into the WR2 category for fantasy football with potential upside, while Johnson and Shepard have some FLEX appeal for fantasy managers who need someone to plug and play as a bye week or injury replacement.
With Evans out for quite some time, Tampa’s remaining pass catchers could see an increase in targets. If Egbuka regains full health, he could deliver top-10 fantasy production, with Johnson-Shepard having some FLEX appeal in deeper fantasy leagues until Godwin is back.
Nothing is better than being able to start fresh with a new Lineup every week — and that is exactly what you can do with PrizePicks' real-money NFL game.
All you need to do is pick More or Less on player projections, lock in your Lineup, and win real money if your picks are right. There are thousands of projections to choose from, and it takes minutes to get started!
