Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans is expected to return from a hamstring injury on Sunday against the New York Giants, according to both Evans and Bucs coach Todd Bowles on Friday.
Evans, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, was diagnosed with a moderate hamstring strain after getting hurt in the second quarter of a 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7. He has missed three games since, matching the longest stretch of absences in his 11-year career.
Evans, 31, is set to play against the Giants “as long as he’s healthy and fresh,” Bowles said on Friday. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Friday but fully participated on Thursday.
However, since Evans’ Week 7 injury was a re-injury of a previous hamstring issue, there may be concerns about him playing too much, especially since Tampa Bay’s top wide receivers are already dealing with injuries.
The Bucs are without their No. 2 wide receiver for likely the rest of the season, as Chris Godwin dislocated his left ankle in the same game that Evans injured his hamstring. Tampa Bay’s No. 3 wide receiver, rookie Jalen McMillan, also hurt his hamstring but has practiced fully this week.
“If he needs to be in there, he’ll be in there,” Bowles said about Evans. “But we’ll get him out when we have to.”
Evans himself seems ready to return to the field.
“This week definitely built my confidence, and last week, going through all the conditioning I had to do,” Evans said. “I feel really good. Like I said, I feel better than I did going into the Ravens game.
I was a little hobbled going into that game. I probably should have sat that one out, but I always try to tough it through. This time off definitely helped me, so I’m confident.”
The Bucs have struggled without Evans and Godwin, losing four games in a row after a 4-2 start.
“It hurt to see your team out there fighting in really tough, close games that we could have won,” Evans said. “I wish I could (have been) out there to help them. I’m excited for this week.”
In seven games (all starts) this season, Evans has 26 receptions for 335 yards and six touchdowns.
He returns to the lineup as the team’s leader in touchdown receptions with six. However, his 10-season streak of 1,000-yard campaigns is at risk. Evans will need to average 95 yards per game in the remaining seven games to keep the streak alive.
