Bucs place S Justin Evans on short-term IR

Bucs safety Justin Evans will have to wait another eight weeks to make his return.

After an injury-riddled 2018 season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety will have to wait even longer to finally hit the field.

Evans was placed on injured reserve Monday, and won't be eligible to return for eight weeks:

Justin Evans going on injured reserve means he’s out at least eight weeks, but that will include the Bucs’ bye week, so he could in theory still play in the final eight games of 2019.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 10, 2019

A second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft out of Texas A&M, Evans has flashed playmaking ability when healthy. Unfortunately for the Bucs, he has been injured for much of his tenure in Tampa Bay up to this point.

Thankfully, the Bucs added plenty of safety depth this offseason, and added veteran help like Darian Stewart during the preseason.

Still, it's a frustrating situation for a talented defender in Evans, who will have to wait another half a season to make an impact for the Bucs defense.