The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been without the services of wide receiver Mike Evans for three straight games now due to injury.
Evans suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 that forced his early exit from the game. The veteran wideout has yet to return to practice since and the expectation has been he would miss three to four weeks.
With Emeka Egbuka now expected to miss time, and with Chris Godwin on the shelf and uncertain for Week 7, also, Evans' return is crucial for the Bucs.
Here's what we know about his possible return in Week 7.
Mike Evans injury update
UPDATE: Bucs head coach Todd Bowles revealed on Monday that he is hoping Evans will return to practice this week, which opens the door for him to return.
"Todd Bowles said Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin Jr. are almost certainly not playing in Detroit," 10 Tampa Bay's Evan Closky reported.
END OF UPDATE
According to FOX Sports' Greg Auman, Evans' initial three-to-four-week timeline leads him to believe that Evans could get back to practice and play this week.
"The initial reporting on Evans was 3-4 weeks out with his hamstring, and he's missed three games now, so seems viable that he'd return to practice this week," Auman wrote.
"How he feels there Friday-Saturday will determine whether he can go Monday vs. Lions in Detroit," Auman added.
With the Lions and Bucs playing on Monday night, that gives Evans an extra day this week to get right, so that's good news for his chances of playing.
Given the fact that Evans wasn't placed on injured reserve, we can assume the Bucs don't expect him to miss a fourth game. So, that's another potential positive for Evans' chances of suiting up.
Making Evans' presence even more important is the fact that the Bucs have a matchup against one the NFL's elite offenses in the Detroit Lions, so plenty of points will likely be needed.
Godwin is dealing with a fibula injury that has his status up in the air, and Egbuka exited the Week 6 contest early with a hamstring injury that could sideline him for one or more games.
And, lest we forget, Jalen McMillan is still on injured reserve and there is currently no timetable for his return.
With Evans, Egbuka and Godwin all out, the Bucs saw huge contributions from guys like Kameron Johnson, Sterling Shepard, Cade Otton and Tez Johnson.
We would expect all of those players to have an increased role if Tampa Bay's three best wideouts sit on Monday night.
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