December 10 Updates
On Monday, Head Coach Todd Bowles said that wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan, both currently on injured reserve, were "in play" for a potential return in Week 15. Apparently Evans and McMillan subsequently played well in practice during the short week leading up to Thursday night's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
"They looked good," said Bowles. "They looked fresh. I mean, they ran great routes and looked like they never left. Obviously, they haven't been hit or anything yet, but they looked good in practice."
While the Bucs' final injury report will be released later on Wednesday afternoon, Bowles revealed after practice that there are four players who are likely to miss the Falcons game. Linebacker SirVocea Dennis (hip) and safety Rashad Wisdom (quad) have been ruled out, while tight end Cade Otton (knee) and safety Tykee Smith (neck/shoulder) are doubtful. Notably absent from that list were Evans and McMillan.
When asked specifically about Evans and whether he had shown everything he needed to show in practice to be able to play on Thursday, Bowles answered in the affirmative.
"Yeah, he has," he siad. "He has."
Evans has missed the last six games after fracturing a collarbone in Week Seven in Detroit, and he was also previously sidelined for three games by a hamstring injury. McMillan has been on injured reserve since the start of the season due to a neck injury sustained in the preseason that kept him in a brace for several months. If both can play on Thursday night, it would mark the first time that the team has been able to field it's anticipated foursome of Evans, McMillan, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka at the same time.
CLICK HERE for a detailed preview of the Bucs' prime-time clash with Atlanta.
December 5 Updates
Wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan began their 21-day period to be activated from injured reserve on Wednesday, but they will go a bit deeper into that window before returning to game action. On Friday, Head Coach Todd Bowles revealed that the three players currently working on a return from I.R. – Evans, McMillan and safety Rashad Wisdom – have all been ruled out of Sunday's game against the visiting New Orleans Saints.
Evans has missed the last five games due to a broken collarbone suffered in Detroit in Week Seven, and he also missed three earlier games with a hamstring injury. After making NFL history by exceeding 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons, Evans has been limited to 14 catches for 140 yards so far in 2025. McMillan, who came on strong in the second half of his 2024 rookie season, has not yet played this year due to a neck injury suffered during the preseason. Both were limited this week but made good progress towards an eventual return.
"He'll be out this week," said Bowles of Evans, the Buccaneers' all-time leader in virtually every receiving category. "He did a lot as far as catching the ball and running routes, and he looked good. He's just getting back so we'll give him a chance to get acclimated. He'll be out, J-Mac will be out and Wisdom will be out."
The Buccaneers are hoping to get their receiving corps back to full strength for the final stretch in a very tight NFC South title race. When and if Evans and McMillan return to game action, the Bucs will be able to field a dangerous quartet of those two plus Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka, with Tez Johnson and Sterling Shepard also available to make plays. While Evans and McMillan didn't get the green light for this weekend, they also didn't suffer any setbacks.
"We feel great about it," said Bowles. "They looked good."
Bowles also said that All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs is questionable for Sunday's game due to an oblique injury that kept him out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
CLICK HERE for a detailed preview of Sunday's Bucs-Saints clash at Raymond James Stadium.
December 2 Updates
The Buccaneers re-signed second-year running back Owen Wright to their practice squad on Tuesday. Wright had spent four weeks on that unit before being promoted to the active roster on November 14. He was waived last Saturday to make room for the promotion of rookie quarterback Connor Bazelak to the 53-man roster.
Wright first joined the Buccaneers near the start of training camp but was subsequently released in the final roster cuts at the end of August. He returned to the team on October 7, signing to the practice squad, and was then elevated for game day against the San Francisco 49ers in Week Six and the Detroit Lions in Week Seven. He was added to the active roster after rookie running back Josh Williams drew a six-game suspension from the NFL and appeared in two more games.
In all, Wright has logged seven snaps on offense and 17 snaps on special teams this season. He has run three times for six yards and returned three kickoffs for 73 yards. During the preseason, he played in all three games and rushed 26 times for a team-leading 100 yards and a touchdown and added four receptions for 12 yards. He also returned one kickoff for 25 yards.
Wright, who split his college career between Monmouth and William & Mary, originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens in 2023. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad and then landed on injured reserve for all of 2024.
CLICK HERE for notes on the Bucs' depth chart for Week 14.
December 1 Updates
The Buccaneers are hoping to have their full receiving corps intact at some point during the team's playoff stretch run, and some serious progress could be made in that regard this week.
On Monday, Head Coach Todd Bowles addressed external reports that both Jalen McMillan and Mike Evans could return to practice this week, noting that he expects both to start ramping up their onfield activities in an effort to return from injured reserve.
"He's been running," said Bowles of McMillan, who suffered a significant neck injury during the preseason that kept him in a brace for several months. "It's just a matter of him putting on a helmet and seeing where he is strength-wise with his neck. He'll start doing more this week and we'll see exactly what, whether it's individual [position drills] or whether it's some more things this week as well. But he will start moving around."
As for Evans, who suffered a fractured clavicle and a concussion in Week Seven, Bowles didn't elaborate but did answer affirmatively about Evans potentially practicing this week.
"That's a possibility as well," said Bowles.
Evans is the franchise's all-time leader in virtually every receiving corps and ranks 10th in NFL history with 106 touchdown receptions. Last season, he led the Bucs with 74 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns, tying Jerry Rice's NFL record by surpassing 1,000 yards for a 11th consecutive season. He has played in just four games this season and has 14 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown.
McMillan came on strong in the second half of his rookie season after Chris Godwin was lost to an ankle injury, finishing with 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns. His seven touchdown catches over the final six weeks of the regular season led all NFL players.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin recently returned from a five-game absence due to a fibula injury and has played only four games this season. He had his most productive outing yet in Sunday's win over Arizona, playing 66.7% of the offensive snaps and catching three passes for 78 yards. First-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka leads the team with 52 catches for 791 yards and six touchdowns, and fellow rookie Tez Johnson has added five touchdown catches. If the Buccaneers can get Evans and McMillan back on the field in the coming weeks, they could feature one of the league's deepest pass-catching corps as they seek to secure a fifth straight division title.
CLICK HERE to watch highlights from the Bucs' 20-17 win over Arizona on Sunday.
