Bucs Gameday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans 'Will Play' vs. Washington Football Team

According to multiple reports, Evans will suit up for the Bucs after suffering a knee injury in the regular-season finale.

Jason Beede

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will try to play against the Washington Football Team in the Wild Card matchup Saturday night, according to multiple reports. 

Evans suffered a left knee injury in the first quarter of the regular-season finale vs. the Atlanta Falcons. Evans was listed as questionable on the team's final injury report this week after being limited in Thursday's practice. Bucs' head coach Bruce Arians said Evans would be a game-time decision.

“If he goes out there, he’s healthy," Arians said Thursday. "We’re not putting him out there to limp on one leg, so if he’s playing, he’s good to go.”

Just one play prior to Evans' hyperextending his knee, he surpassed the 1,000 receiving yard mark for the seventh season in a row, as many as he's been in the NFL, breaking former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss' record of six seasons in a row.

It was reported the following day that Evans did not suffer any structural damage, an early sign that he would have a chance to take the field against Washington.

RELATED: With or Without Mike Evans, Buccaneers WR Corps Can Be Trusted in Playoffs

While it is expected that Evans will try to play Saturday night, Tampa Bay does have solid depth at the wide receiver position if something changes before the game.

“We’ve got Scotty [Miller], we’ve got Tyler [Johnson], [Jaydon] Mickens – we’ve got guys who have played all season," Arians said. "They’re not Mike, but they’ll be good enough.”

After losing Evans in the first half to the Falcons, quarterback Tom Brady still had plenty of options to pass the ball to, including Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown. The two combined for 16 receptions, 271 yards, and four touchdowns last week.

Evans led the team this season with 13 touchdown catches and over 1,000 receiving yards.

Published
Jason Beede
JASON BEEDE

Jason Beede serves as the Deputy Editor for AllBucs. Beede comes from 247Sports where he covered the UCF Knights for three years. In addition, he served as an intern twice at the Orlando Sentinel. Beede graduated from UCF in Spring 2020 with a B.A. in Journalism.