NFL Trade Rumors: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Mike Evans "Planning to Play" in Week 12

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are about to get their leader back. According to Fox Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans is back at practice this week and is expected to take the field on Sunday's matchup with the New York Giants.

Sources: #Bucs WR Mike Evans, who has been out since Week 7 with a hamstring injury, is back at practice and is planning to play on Sunday vs the #Giants.

A huge boost for Baker Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/xbG8jMfcKd
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 20, 2024

Evans has been out since injuring his hamstring early on in the Buccaneers' 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7. Should he play on Sunday, he'll have missed three games with the injury, all of which were losses for the Bucs.

Evans is the Bucs' longest-tenured player on offense, having joined the team as their seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He began his career with an unprecedented 10 straight 1000-yard seasons, a streak that is in jeopardy this season due to his injury. With only 335 receiving yards through seven appearances, Evans will need to average an impressive 95.0 receiving yards over the season's final seven games in order to reach the 1000-yard threshold.

Evans' return should give the Bucs a much-needed boost as they fight for their playoff lives in the coming weeks. They're currently 4-6 and have already lost both their NFC South matchups against the Atlanta Falcons, meaning they'll lose any tiebreaking scenario with the Falcons within the division. But all hope isn't lost: The Bucs won four of the six games Evans was healthy enough to complete while averaging a dominant 29.7 points per game.

Evans is no longer the dominant outside threat he once was, but he still provides leadership and gives opposing defenses something to think about. If the Bucs are going to push for a Wildcard or make a miraculous run for the NFC South, Evans will have to turn back the clock and reemerge as a Pro Bowl calibre wide receiver. The Bucs are currently bereft of pass catchers: their leading receiver, Chris Godwin, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 7. Simply put, the Bucs need Evans more than ever.