NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is expected to miss the next few weeks with a hamstring injury. ESPN’s Jenna Laine also reported that the All-Pro wideout is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. Evans limped off the field in the fourth quarter of the team’s 29-27 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday and punched a cooler on the sidelines out of frustration before walking to the locker room.
Evans has dealt with multiple hamstring injuries throughout his career including last year, where he was sidelined for three games midway through the campaign. The veteran had hauled in 14 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown through the first three games of this season and this latest injury could potentially put his quest to set the NFL record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in jeopardy.
Should he miss just a few weeks, he could potentially return for the team’s Week 6 home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on October 12. If he’s out for a full month like Laine’s reporting suggests, then the Bucs’ Week 8 road matchup against the New Orleans Saints on October 26 could be a potential target date for a return. With the team’s bye coming the following week, however, they may opt to keep him out to ensure that he has as much recovery time as possible for the second half of the season.
Evans was a top 15-16 fantasy wide receiver in average draft position heading into the 2025 season, so many fantasy managers will be down one of their starting wideouts for potentially the next month. The veteran wasn’t putting up explosive numbers in the early stages of the season, but had been reliably consistent with a top-15 target share in the league.
With his absence, rookie Emeka Egbuka will shoulder the load as the team’s top receiving option and should garner even more targets from Baker Mayfield. The first-rounder out of Ohio State has immediately broken out in the first month of his pro career, catching 14 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns and is currently standing as a top-10 fantasy receiver across all formats. This should also mean more targets for veteran Sterling Shepard, who has 153 yards through three games and is currently rostered in just 1% of fantasy leagues.
And while Evans may be out for the next few weeks, the team could potentially be getting Chris Godwin back on the field for this Sunday’s showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. The All-Pro receiver has been sidelined since Week 7 of last season with an ankle injury, coincidentally the same week Evans suffered the hamstring injury that kept him out for three games. Godwin was still a top-50 receiver in ADP heading into the season and is rostered in roughly 75% of fantasy leagues, so the managers who decided to stash and draft him could finally see him take the field this week.
As for Evans managers, there are plenty of waiver wire options to turn to for receiver depth, including Quentin Johnston of the Los Angeles Chargers and Tre Tucker of the Las Vegas Raiders.
