NFL Rumors: Bucs Should Have Two Star Wide Receivers Ready for Week 2

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can breathe a little easier. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, wide receivers Mike Evans and Julio Jones returned to practice Friday, indicating they could be ready to go for the team's pivotal NFC South battle against the New Orleans Saints:

Bucs WR Julio Jones (knee),WR Mike Evans (calf) have returned to practice. Did not see T Donovan Smith (elbow) WR Chris Godwin (hamstring), LB Lavonte David, DT Akiem Hicks during portion of practice open to the media. RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) worked with a trainer.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 16, 2022

The news comes following a frightening Thursday injury report that listed Evans, Jones, and Chris Godwin as having missed practice, and fellow wide receivers Russell Gage and Breshad Perriman as limited. For a little while there, it looked like the Bucs' top-five wide receivers were in danger of missing Week 2. As of this moment, it looks like only Godwin is expected to be unavailable.

The Bucs' 2021 season was derailed in large part due to a flood of injuries and absences at the wide receiver position; the team was short Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Breshad Perriman entering their Divisional round loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams, and lost Tyler Johnson and Jaelon Darden during the game. The Bucs aggressively added to their receiver depth this offseason, signing Julio Jones and Russell Gage, in the hopes of avoiding a similar health disaster. Needless to say, they're not off to an ideal start in that department.