Buccaneers get brutal Mike Evans news ahead of potential Chris Godwin return

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wide receiver Mike Evans limped off the field in the fourth quarter of the club's 29-27 home win over the New York Jets in Week 3 with an apparent left leg injury. 

On Tuesday, multiple reports confirmed that Evans likely will miss more than just this coming Sunday's matchup between the 3-0 Buccaneers and 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles that will be held at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium. 

How long will Mike Evans be sidelined?

According to Jenna Laine of ESPN, Evans "is expected to miss three to four weeks with a strained left hamstring." A similar issue sidelined Evans for three games last season, and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio revealed on Tuesday that this latest setback is a "little less" worrisome than what the 32-year-old dealt with during the 2024 campaign. 

ESPN stats show that Evans ended Week 3 leading the unbeaten Buccaneers with 27 targets on the season. He, rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka and running back Bucky Irving share the team lead for total receptions (14). Evans is third on the club with 140 receiving yards, and he tallied a single receiving touchdown over the season's first three weeks. 

Why Tampa Bay Buccaneers could keep winning without Mike Evans

The previously mentioned Egbuka emerged as a potential future star as he helped Tampa Bay notch three straight victories in September. The 2025 first-round draft pick currently leads the team with 181 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Egbuka as the overall betting favorite at +370 odds to claim the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for this season. 

While Egbuka likely will serve as the primary target for quarterback Baker Mayfield amid Evans' absences, both Laine and Florio noted that veteran Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin could make his season debut against the Eagles. Godwin hasn't played since he went down with a dislocated left ankle, high ankle sprain, fractured fibula and torn deltoid last October. Shortly after it was learned that Evans wouldn't be available to play against Philadelphia, ESPN BET had the reigning Super Bowl champions as 3.5-point road favorites over the Buccaneers.