Report: Mike Evans Should Return After Eight-Week Rehab
October 23rd, 2025
Rehab timetable.
This is a rather optimistic timeline.
Now Bucs coach Todd Bowles has been pretty consistent in the immediate aftermath of Mike Evans’ injury saying the Bucs would likely have to wait until the “end of the year” to diagnose whether he could return for the playoffs.
But what did Bowles mean by “end of the year?” End of December or end of the regular season.
Joe asked Bowles about this yesterday and Bowles said end of regular season.
Just moments after Bowles spoke to the local pen and mic club, not even enough time for the Sage of Tampa Bay sports, Ira Kaufman, to wolf down a cheeseburger, a scrawl appeared on NFL Network saying Ian Rapoport reports Evans will have surgery this week and an eight-week rehab is expected.
An eight-week rehab puts a target date of Dec. 17 on the table for Evans. That would mean the Week 16 game at Carolina could be in play.
Joe would bet the cost of an oil change at Bill Currie Ford that Rapoport’s source is Evans’ agent.
Yesterday, Bowles was much more cautious.
“It’s going to be touch-and-go,” Bowles said about Evans’ availability for the playoffs. “We’ll see as we get toward the end of the year.
“It’s definitely going to be the end of the year – hopefully it’s before that. If we get to the playoffs and go from there, it might be in the playoffs depending on how it heals.”
Of course, a lot of this is speculation as the exact date of Evans’ surgery in unknown. And who knows what doctors may find when they open him up?
Now, Joe’s focus isn’t Evans, but instead turns to injured Chris Godwin, Luke Goedeke and Bucky Irving.
#Bucs WR Mike Evans is set for surgery this week to repair his broken collarbone, sources say, a clean break that should have Evans back in eight weeks or fewer. pic.twitter.com/3tBhmvp8LO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2025
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:03 am
8 weeks for the bone to heal is typical. He should be returning in EXCELLENT physical condition as he will be able to do most training and practice type work 4-5 weeks before being cleared for game day football.
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:10 am
If it’s a clean break, why does he need surgery?
Sketchy report
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:13 am
Coming back from any injury at 32 isn’t the same as when you’re 22. I’m not holding my breath he’ll be back, or be the same.
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:21 am
Heal up big dog!!! Breaking a record won’t happen, but we can get you a 2nd ring.
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:27 am
D@mn that Father Time!!
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:32 am
Did they fire Bowles already ?
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:38 am
Get well Mike – hope to see you if we make the playoffs
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:52 am
For next year, Bucs need to move on from Mike and CG. Sad as it is…..Father Time is undefeated, has taken down bigger stars.
October 23rd, 2025 at 8:00 am
how is Mike? how is his concussion? I pray he’s ok as a person and not just a football player. He looked almost dead on the field, scary!!
October 23rd, 2025 at 8:10 am
Because the defender started tackling him before the ball was quite there, he was in the perfect position to pile-drive Mike into the ground. That’s the reason so many quarterbacks don’t get hurt anymore, they made that illegal
October 23rd, 2025 at 8:11 am
great well soon ME13
GO BUCS!!!!
October 23rd, 2025 at 8:31 am
Mike is in good physical shape overall except for this injury. He will be back by the end of the season. Just in time for the play-offs.
October 23rd, 2025 at 8:33 am
Love the idiots blaming “Father Time” for injuries to Evans and Godwin that literally have nothing to do with aging. Godwin was injured on an ILLEGAL hip drop tackle. Evans was injured by a DB who tackled him prior to the ball arriving, which prevented Evans from securing the catch and bracing for impact. Both injuries could’ve happened to a 22 year old or a 136 year old you f’ng clowns
October 23rd, 2025 at 8:46 am
Week 16?
500 yards per game! LFG!!!
October 23rd, 2025 at 8:59 am
Not coming back. Bowles is blowing smoke.
October 23rd, 2025 at 9:07 am
Hate to see this for Mike, because I was really hoping he’d get another 1000 yard season. Not to be obviously, but if 8 weeks is a good estimate, that’d put him back for the last 2-3 games, then hopefully the playoffs.
What to do in the meantime is the big question. I still haven’t seen any projections as far as to when Godwin & McMillan (or even Bucky) will be back. We’re all assuming at least 2 of them (Godwin & Bucky) will be good to go after the BYE, but nothing I’m reading supports that.
In the meantime though, hopefully Egbuka’s hammy is 100% after the BYE, because he’ll probably be the lead dog for awhile. With his bum hamstring, his last 2 games (6 catches in 16 targets for 82 yards & 0 TDs) don’t scream #1 receiver. We all know he’s MUCH better than that.
Shepard has far exceeded all expectations far as I’m concerned. He was 7-for-7 in the loss to the Lions (albeit for only 25 yards) & 2-of-3 for 51 yards in our win over the 49ers, as well as 4-of-5 in our win over the Seahawks. On the season he’s now 26-of-34 (76.5%) for 267 yards, 1 TD & 13 first downs. That’s quite sterling if you ask me. None of the rest of our young WRs excite me … yet (a couple show promise).
Cade Otton’s come on during these past 4 games (19 catches in 24 targets for 206 yards). Neither of our other TEs (Durham & Culp) were even targeted in those games, but both have some decent skills that should be explored in these next few games.
Bucky being out obviously hurts, but realistically his 2025 performance hasn’t been nearly as good as what he did in 2024. And yes, I’m convinced that our OLine musical chairs is the culprit behind that. Still, his 3.3 YPC average is quite meh. Rachaad’s running behind the same OLine, and his 3.9 YPC average is a lot more palatable for a team that wants to run 40-50% per game.
We’ve still got some weapons despite all the injuries, but play-calling like what we saw in the Lions’ game won’t hack it. Grizz needs to figure out what our current strengths are & focus on those while we’re waiting for our big dogs to heal up.
October 23rd, 2025 at 10:45 am
How painful it was to watch ME13 make that catch & hit the sorry a$$ astroturf the way he did… Hoping & praying for a speedy recovery…
October 23rd, 2025 at 10:46 am
Evans weapon when he returns after 8 weeks (assuming he does) is going to be his reputation. Whether he’s actually in game shape and an actual receiving threat he will always be perceived as a threat and teams will plan accordingly.
If the Bucs finish this season strong I could see Evans coming back for another year.
As for Godwin….just as he returned to 100% last year after a “recovery” year in ’23…..he should be at 100% in ’26.
Often times the hardest part of recovering from a major injury is the mental aspect of it.
October 23rd, 2025 at 10:50 am
Medical care sure has evolved in the last few years. When I broke my collarbone (clean break), they did no surgery. They also did not splint it. Wishing Big Mike the very best of luck. Thanks for your usual excellent take, DR. Go Bucs!!
October 23rd, 2025 at 11:38 am
@orlbucfan: Same here. I had to wear a shoulder harness over both shoulders for about 8 weeks.
October 23rd, 2025 at 12:15 pm
“Both injuries could’ve happened to a 22 year old or a 136 year old you f’ng clowns”
It never fails…. at least once a day one of you kiddies are cursingly confident in your expertise based on watching the NFL on sunday while eating potato chips…lol.
Scientific fact – 32 year old’s bone density and reduced ligament elasticity can make it more likely to sustain long lasting injury. made a difference here? -perhaps not or perhaps . You’d need a medical degree and a lot of physics calculations to know for sure and you don’t know. So no side can claim certainty.
October 23rd, 2025 at 12:16 pm
just think playoffs……………hopefully…
be realistic…
nothing earlier
October 23rd, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Send the medical bills to Detroit.
October 23rd, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Shut Mike down for the season. Have him ready for 2026. Send him out right. Let that be his last season.
October 23rd, 2025 at 12:33 pm
A clean break of a collar bone could still be misaligned. He’s most likely getting it pinned.
October 23rd, 2025 at 1:01 pm
Alanbucsfan Says:
October 23rd, 2025 at 7:10 am
If it’s a clean break, why does he need surgery?
Sketchy report
—————-
They will put a plate in there to keep the bone linear. As of right now, the bone is broken in half and not connected.
October 23rd, 2025 at 1:15 pm
Once again any time Joe throws out an injury update about a player…the doctors come out to comment.
October 23rd, 2025 at 2:54 pm
Bones get more brittle between 22 and 32? Arg. I’m 65 now. I’m worried
October 23rd, 2025 at 3:15 pm
it’s so good that joe bucs fan is like zoc doc…
i have so many questions to ask all the wizards on here
October 23rd, 2025 at 5:12 pm
8-weeks is pretty typical for this type of injury if it was a clean break. An optimistic timeline would be 6-weeks.
I’d like to see 6-weeks, then have Mike come back, and get the 1000 yard record still. What an incredibly story line that would be.
October 23rd, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Love all these keyboard pilots who probably get winded walking around the block comparing what their Chiropractor tells them to what a REAL Orthopedic Doctor/surgeon would be telling to an athlete in his prime!
Absolutely laughable!
And the father time references are just as laughable, especially for an athlete in his prime, such as Mike.
Some of y’all need to get back on your meds and chill out!