Buccaneers' Mike Evans pushing for return to field

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dug themselves quite a hole. After heading into their bye week with their heads held high, they have now dropped four out of their five games since then after embarrassingly losing to one of the league's worst teams in the New Orleans Saints.

The Buccaneers are now 7-6 and tied with the Carolina Panthers for the NFC South lead, with two of their final four games against them.

It will be a tall task for the Bucs to get out of their current funk and make the playoffs in 2025, given how they have played. Still, they could be receiving help to turn things around, as it's reported that star wide receiver Mike Evans is pushing to make his return to the field in Week 15 against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.

Evans pushing to return vs. Falcons on TNF

Dec 24, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Buccaneers’ wide receiver Mike Evans has been pushing to play as soon as Thursday night vs. the Falcons as he works himself back into football shape from the broken clavicle he suffered earlier this season. There’s a chance he will play then and if not, then the Sunday, Dec. 21…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 7, 2025

Evans has missed significant time this season due to injury. Early in the season, he missed three weeks with a hamstring injury, only for him to return in Week 7 and suffer a broken clavicle that landed him on injured reserve (IR).

His 21-day practice window was opened just about a week ago, and he is gradually working himself back to return to the field, but it appears that his efforts and work ethic are paying off, as he believes he is ready to put the pads back on.

While his streak of consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons will likely end, his presence would be greatly welcomed on a Bucs offense that hasn't found much success. Tampa Bay has had to lean on its corps of young wide receivers, and Godwin is still returning to form, so getting Evans back would be a huge boost for an offense looking to find any sort of power.

We have seen Evans come back from injury without being 100% which thus led to further injury, so the hope is that he is actually fully healed and ready to go. If not, it would be wise for the Bucs to sit him against the Falcons and then have him ready to go for what will be an all-important game against the Panthers.

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