Tampa Bay will get its all-time receiving leader back as the team's season hangs in the balance.
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will return to play in Sunday's tilt against the Giants after missing three games with a hamstring injury, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on NFL GameDay Morning. Evans is officially active for the game.
"My understanding is he looked excellent in practice, is expected to be full-go today," Rapoport said. "May not play his full complement of snaps though as they kind of ease him back. As far as speed, athleticism, looks like himself. Certainly something that will help the Bucs who need a win pretty badly."
Coach Todd Bowles said Evans was trending toward playing during the week, but fans will nonetheless be breathing a sigh of relief considering the star wideout managed just one full practice sandwiched between two limited sessions and entered the weekend with a questionable designation.
His return for the team's stretch run is massive on both a collective and individual level.
Tampa Bay finds itself in dire straits compared to the last time Evans suited up, a Week 7 loss to the Ravens that he departed early and which started a four-game losing streak.
Now 4-6, the Buccaneers have fallen to the 11th seed in the NFC. They fought hard in the past three contests, though, losing each by one possession -- including an overtime defeat to the then-unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs.
A Pro Bowl talent like Evans could have tipped any of those results the other way. Luckily, he's healthy enough to try and do just that in Week 12.
Evans, who has 26 catches for 335 yards in 2024, still leads the team in touchdown receptions with six. And while it certainly won't be the main motivation, a major NFL milestone is in play.
He currently holds the record for consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin a career with 10. Adding another, which would tie the great Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons overall, appears difficult but not out of the question.
Evans needs to average 95 yards a game over the Bucs' final seven, well above his career per-game average of 74.6 and roughly two times more than his average this season, 47.9.
Still, the Buccaneers will certainly be looking his way and might require such a heater from Evans to push for the playoffs. He should slide right into the role of Baker Mayfield's No. 1 receiver, a massive threat alongside tight end Cade Otton and versatile running backs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving.
If he and Tampa Bay gain a head of steam, the schedule presents an opportunity for a season-saving run: Six of the Bucs' seven remaining games come versus teams with seven or more losses.
The first of those takes place against the Giants (2-8) at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
