Mike Evans injury update puts Bucs rookie in ironic position after last week’s social media attention
A tough break for the Bucs’ offense will force a suddenly surging rookie further into the spotlight.
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night in the Motor City. The Bucs lost 24-9 in what can only be described as a disappointing and listless performance, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Detroit’s collection of backups in their secondary completely shut down Tampa Bay’s passing attack.
And, of course, the Mike Evans injury was the cherry on top of that rotten sundae. Evans suffered what were listed during the game as a concussion and shoulder injury. As it turns out, it was significantly worse.
Todd Bowles said after the game that Mike Evans suffered a broken clavicle and will be until towards the end of the season
Evans stretched out for a deep ball in the first half and landed awkwardly on his shoulder while pulling in the football. He released the football shortly after impact with the ground, which was the first sign that things were bad for him. He had to be helped off the field looking woozy and was carted from the sideline to the locker room.
Evans’ streak of 1000-yard seasons will now unfortunately come to an end, and the hit to Tampa Bay’s offense will obviously be very substantial, particularly with Chris Godwin still on the mend with a fibula injury.
However, another wide receiver has started to make a name for himself in recent weeks – rookie Tez Johnson.
Tez Johnson set to take on a bigger role after joking recently that he hasn’t done anything
Johnson, the Bucs’ seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, became the subject of a viral moment on social media shortly after the team’s 30-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6. Johnson had an impressive long touchdown grab, and while he was celebrating in the end zone, he heard chants of “MVP”, which were obviously meant for Baker Mayfield.
He and Sterling Shepard had some fun with the moment on the sideline during the game, noting that he was confused because he hadn’t done anything until then.
Well, he’s done something for sure over the last two weeks, as he has touchdown catches in each game. Midway through the third quarter on Monday night, Johnson caught a short pass and weaved his way through the Lions’ defense for a 22-yard touchdown, the Bucs’ only trip to the end zone for the game.
Obviously, Johnson is not Evans, both physically and skills wise. Evans is a rare combination of size, speed, and hands that opens up the playbook a ton and makes the perimeter 50/50 grabs and gives you a big red zone and end zone target. At 5’10”, 165 pounds, Johnson is going to beat you with his elusiveness and speed. He’s shown to be a good route runner for a rookie and far more than just a return specialist.
To be clear, Johnson isn’t going to replace Evans. No one is. But as far as an opportunity to do something, well, life can be ironic, can’t it?
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