TAMPA – The Atlanta Falcons are heading down to face off with their division rivals on Thursday Night Football. Both the Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to snap out of a funk that has seen them drop games – the Falcons have lost seven of their last eight, while the Buccaneers have lost four of their last five.
Injuries have played a central role in the struggles of each of these teams this season, and both will be hoping that reinforcements are on the way soon.
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The Falcons have received some inconclusive results from the team’s injury reports this week, but head coach Raheem Morris appeared to be optimistic that they could be getting some of their key contributors back by Thursday.
On the flip side, the Buccaneers got some good injury news from head coach Todd Bowles on Monday, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles said Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan and Tristan Wirfs are in play for Thursday nights game vs. Atlanta.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) December 8, 2025
Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and Tristan Wirfs will all reportedly be active for Thursday’s game.
Evans, a six-time Pro-Bowl wide receiver, has only appeared in four games thus far in 2025. He has 14 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown, with a third of that coming against the Falcons back in Week 1.
“Yeah, more problems for us,” Morris said Monday. “Mike Evans is an excellent player. He’s one of the best, if not the best, that we see. And he’s just one of those guys. He’s been an all-time great – he’ll be an all-time great for the Bucs. He’s been a great that we’ve competed against for a very long time.”
McMillan, a touchdown machine in his first season in the NFL last year, has not appeared in a game this season. As a rookie, he appeared in 13 games, where he caught 37 passes for 461 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Buccaneers were only just recently able to get veteran wideout Chris Godwin Jr. back into the mix in Week 12 after a fibula injury held him out for several weeks. Since returning, he has caught 16 passes for 194 yards.
The receiving corps, especially when healthy, is one of the NFL’s best. They will present the Falcons with a tough challenge.
Wirfs, a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro-Bowl left tackle, has appeared in nine games this season and is widely considered to be one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL – he also showed the ability to play a little wide receiver if he needs to.
Falcons defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus is excited for the chance to face off with a player of Wirfs’ caliber this week.
“Sh**, that’s a great opportunity,” Dorlus said through a grin. “My fault for the language, I got excited… He’s a great player. I would love to go against somebody as a pro bowler and show what I’ve got.”
Kickoff between the Buccaneers and Falcons is set for 8:15 p.m. on Thursday night.