Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans watches from the bench during Sunday's game against the Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium. Evans suffered a broken clavicle against the Lions on Oct. 20. ©Luis SantanaRick Stroud, Times staffMon, December 1, 2025 at 7:03 PM UTC·2 min readBucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is going to have more targets to throw to soon.
Two weeks ago, wide receiver Chris Godwin returned to the lineup after missing five games with a fibula injury.
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCoach Todd Bowles said Monday that receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan could begin practicing this week.
Both players have been on injured reserve.
Evans suffered a broken clavicle against the Lions on Oct. 20.
McMillan suffered three fractures, as well as ligament damage, to his neck making a leaping catch against the Steelers in a preseason game on Aug. 16.
McMillan had been wearing a neck brace until last week as he recovered but tried to remain in good physical condition.
“He’s been running,” Bowles said. ”It’s just a matter of him putting on a helmet and seeing where he is strength-wise with his neck. He’ll start doing more this week. We’ll see exactly what, whether it’s individual or whether he can do more things this week as well, but he will start moving around."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA year ago, McMillan caught 37 passes for 461 yards and eight touchdowns, including seven over his final five games. He figured to begin the season as the No. 3 receiver behind Evans and Godwin, even with the selection of Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka in the first round.
The Bucs had hoped that Evans would make it back for at least the final two games of the regular season, and now that timetable seems completely realistic. NFC South-leading Tampa Bay (7-5) plays second-place Carolina (7-6) twice in the final three weeks.
When asked if Evans would begin practicing this week, Bowles said, “That’s a possibility as well.”
Godwin had only two catches for nine yards in his Nov. 23 return against the Rams. Sunday, he caught three passes for 78 yards against the Cardinals. He could have had a bigger day, but he dropped a potential touchdown pass in the end zone.
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