The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to move to 3-0 on the season after another come from behind victory in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets on Sunday. But for as great as the win felt for Buccaneers fans, there was lasting concern about the status of star wide receiver Mike Evans, who exited Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.
Evans came out of Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter after stopping on his routes and holding his hamstring, ultimately not returning to the game following the injury.
This obviously creates some concern for the Buccaneers given Evans’ extensive history of hamstring injuries, missing three games in 2024 and three games in 2019 due to hamstring injuries. With his injury history in mind, the Buccaneers could very well opt to proceed with caution when it comes to Evans’ potential return date following this injury.
Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs onto the field prior to an NFL football game against the New York Jets at Raymond James Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs onto the field prior to an NFL football game against the New York Jets at Raymond James Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
More news: Browns Starter Suffers Season-Ending Injury In Week 3 Win
Fortunately, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles shared a silver lining about Evans injury while speaking with reporters on Monday. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, via Bowles, the initial diagnosis is a “low-grade” injury for Evans that should not be a long-term injury for him.
While #Bucs coach Todd Bowles said the team does not have MRI results for star WR Mike Evans, he termed the injury as “low-grade” based on the initial diagnosis. A good sign that it won’t be long-term.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 22, 2025
It’s certainly good to hear that Evans may not be sidelined for a prolonged period of time. But Bowles did alluded to the fact that the team does not yet have MRI results back on Evans injury, which could certainly reveal a more significant diagnosis.
Regardless, it will certainly be worth monitoring Evans’ status for the team’s Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in what will be a battle between two 3-0 teams on the year.
Evans’ impact on the Buccaneers success offensively should not be understated, recording 1,000 receiving yards in all of his 12 years with the organization.
More news: Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Makes Decision on QB Carson Wentz After Dominant Win
Fortunately, one positive for the Buccaneers should Evans be forced to miss Week 4 is that there is seemingly a chance that another former Pro Bowl wideout could take his place in the lineup.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin is believed to have a “strong chance” of making his season debut in Week 4 against the Eagles, which would certainly make the impact of losing Evans a bit less severe.
For more on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and all things NFL, head over to Newsweek Sports.