The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seen dual storylines define their season so far, and they represent the most extreme sides of any NFL season.
The first storyline is a 3-0 start that’s featured 3 fourth quarter comebacks to start the season — the first team to do so since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
The second storyline is injuries, which left the Buccaneers with all 5 spots on the offensive line featuring different players in Week 3 than who was projected as starters in the preseason.
For the Buccaneers, when it comes to injuries, any news to this point has been bad news.
They may have finally caught a break after superstar wide receiver Mike Evans left a 29-27 win over the New York Jets with a hamstring injury.
For Buccaneers fans, minds automatically went to Week 7 of the 2024 regular season, when Evans left a loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a hamstring injury and missed the next 3 games.
That might not be the case here, however, after an update from Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles shed light on the severity of Evans’ injury.
“Todd Bowles said Mike Evans will get an MRI on Tuesday on his hamstring but ‘they deem it as low-grade,’ suggesting it won’t sideline him as much as it could,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on September 22.
Buccaneers Already Down Multiple Starters
Evans is just the latest in a string of high profile injuries for the Buccaneers — mostly on the offensive side of the ball.
NFL All-Pro wide receiver Chris Godwin (knee) and NFL All-Pro left offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs have yet to play in a game this season, although both could return for a Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Godwin suffered a gruesome dislocated ankle last season, also in Week 7 against the Ravens, and hasn’t played since but still signed a 3-year, $66 million free agent contract in March.
Another starting wide receiver, Jalen McMillan, will miss at least the first 8 games with a severely strained neck suffered in the Buccaneers’ second preseason game on August 16.
Starting guard Cody Mauch suffered a season ending knee injury in a Week 2 win over the Houston Texans. Starting right offensive tackle Luke Goedeke is on injured reserve after re-injuring his foot against the Texans, which means the soonest he could be back is a Week 7 Monday Night Football game against the Detroit Lions.
NFL Record Could Quickly Be Out Of Reach
While the Buccaneers have quickly asserted themselves as NFC contenders and the team goals of making the playoffs for a sixth straight season seem very much within reach, one individual goal for Evans could be quickly getting out of reach.
Evans is trying to set an NFL record with his 12th consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, which would break a tie with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
Through the first 3 games of the season, Evans has 14 receptions for 140 yards and 1 touchdown. Hardly numbers that put him on pace to hit 1,000.
To Evans’ credit, he started last season slow as well and still finished with 1,000 yards — through the first 3 games of the 2024 season he had 10 receptions for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns.