By Moses Joshua 
The star receiver’s return could spark Tampa Bay’s offense—or reignite a risky setback
A Fragile Comeback
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up for a primetime showdown against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football, and the plan is clear—Mike Evans is expected to make his long-awaited return.
After missing three weeks with a hamstring injury, Week 7 marks what should be his comeback moment. According to the team’s schedule, Evans sat out of Friday’s practice as a precaution but is slated to participate fully on Saturday, giving the Bucs hope that their top receiver will be ready to go.
But there’s one problem—the very nature of the injury itself.
Hamstring issues are among the trickiest ailments in professional sports. They can feel fine one moment and flare up the next. And as social media sports doctor Deepak Chona warned, Evans carries a “HIGH re-injury risk.”
That risk is what’s casting a shadow over what should be a celebratory return.
The Stakes Are Sky-High
For Tampa Bay, the dilemma goes beyond simply having Evans on the field—it’s about how much he’ll need to do once he’s out there.
With fellow wideouts Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka dealing with their own injuries, Evans won’t have the luxury of easing back into game speed. Instead, he’ll likely be thrust into an every-down role, asked to perform at full throttle against a physical Lions secondary.
That kind of workload, coming off a three-week layoff, could easily aggravate his hamstring again—something both Evans and the Buccaneers desperately want to avoid.
Still, the team knows how crucial Evans is to their offense. The veteran receiver has been the centerpiece of Tampa Bay’s aerial attack for years, and his consistency—ten straight 1,000-yard seasons—is unmatched in the modern NFL.
A Risk Worth Taking?
It’s a balancing act between present and future production, between short-term gain and long-term health.
The Buccaneers can’t afford to play it too safe, but they also can’t risk losing Evans for another stretch of games. Without him, they’d be forced to rely heavily on Sterling Shepard, Tez Johnson, and Kameron Johnson—a receiving corps that lacks the same game-changing ability.
For now, the plan remains to suit up Evans and hope the gamble pays off.
He’s the heart of Tampa Bay’s offense, the spark that can shift a game’s momentum in a single play. But as Monday night approaches, the Bucs will need more than preparation—they’ll need a little luck to ensure their star doesn’t trade one return for another trip to the sidelines.