Baker Mayfield Reacts To Mike Evans’ Injury News
October 21st, 2025
Mike Evans lay prone on the turf of Ford Field after his injury and concussion Monday night.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield and Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans may be tighter than you think.
The two may not be super best friends. They may not often hang out at dive bars and pound beers and wings or go fishing each week in the offseason, but they are close.
Evans seriously considered football life outside of Tampa Bay. But he decided to stay, in large part because of Mayfield. And Mayfield has never forgotten that.
When Evans went down last night with a broken clavicle, it’s no stretch to suggest Mayfield was shook up. Not just because the Bucs lost one of the best receivers in the game maybe for the rest of the regular season, but it was both a friend and a close teammate.
“I mean, obviously, for the team, it’s not great, but for him, I hate it,” Mayfield said. “You know, from seeing him work each day in person, whether he’s healthy or hurt, just how he attacks each day [the injury] just sucks.
“You know, you never like to see that, whether it’s a teammate or not, but especially when it’s Mike. So unfortunate.”
Still, Mayfield fully expects to see Evans at One Buc Palace every day doing what he can to rehab his injury, but to also help young receivers so the Bucs can bounce back to their winning ways.
“Mike’s a professional,” Mayfield said. “He’ll handle it the best way he possibly can.
“Being injured and not being able to play is one thing, but I know Mike will be there and support the guys no matter what. And that’s that’s really just a testament to who he is.”
Mayfield knows from personal experience Evans’ absence will eat away at him.
“It’s not that easy to do,” Mayfield said of being sidelined. “Sometimes it’s hard to stand around and watch and when you know you want to be out there and contribute.
“But Mike, he’ll help our guys out in any way.”
Evans is on Joe’s back burner. There’s no guarantee he will be back for the regular season. Even Todd Bowles said last night, “we’ll see” about Evans’ progress two months from now.
Joe wants Evans back, of course, but he’s down the road. Right now, Joe’s focus will be on Bucky Irving and Luke Goedeke and Chris Godwin. The Bucs offense will be so much better with those three back, even two of the three.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:07 am
It makes me sad seeing him like that… Genuinely felt like I was watching it happen to my friend. He’s the reason I’m here, as a fan. Praying for you Mike.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:07 am
Streak is done. It’s a sad reminder of just how impressive it is from a durability standpoint to even make it to 11 years with 1K yards. This game will beat the hell out of you.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:10 am
Get well soon Mike! Not for nothing but that play was DPI.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:17 am
Get well soon Mike and hopefully come back for a long playoff run.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:17 am
Should have just used him for red zone TDs until he was 100%
October 21st, 2025 at 9:20 am
Is there a timeline for the return of Goedeke, Bucky, or McMillan? It would be wonderful if we could get all three back after the bye.
On defense, I know the Lions’ RBs are really good, but just too many missed tackles last night. I thought that was behind us.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:23 am
@LVMYBUCS Agreed! Trying to protect yourself makes you vulnerable to further injury.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:27 am
Might be the last time we see Mike on the field retirement rumors are getting pretty strong. If it’s true man was it great to see Mike play football at such an elite level for so long.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:27 am
I’m banking on Bucky returning – entirely different game last night with bucky. Hoping for Goedeke but am beginning to be of the opinion we are never getting the old Chris back. We might be seeing the changing of the guard at WR
#1 is definitely Egbuka
2/3 is Sterling or Jalen
and a Johnson at number 4
October 21st, 2025 at 9:31 am
Why did Baker look so immobile? Was there no escaping the pocket?
It seemed like he either never stepped up or it was always too late. I wonder if he got hurt on that 1st scramble attempt when he seemed to go down on his own.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:35 am
THanks for the good memories Mike ! Retire my friend
October 21st, 2025 at 9:45 am
Get well, this team needs Mike for playoffs. LFG!
October 21st, 2025 at 9:46 am
Hated to see him go down like that unfortunately.
October 21st, 2025 at 9:51 am
McMillan seems to be out for the year too rest up !!
October 21st, 2025 at 10:07 am
Personally I would’ve sat both Evan and Egbuka just from seeing what’s already happened with rushing back players too soon. I get it’s a new injury and this is football but I didn’t see a win coming out the Lion’s den especially with Detroit coming off a loss.
October 21st, 2025 at 10:07 am
Love ME13, I think he retires next season, I thought that regardless, whether he got the record or not, anyways thanks Mike, best receiver this club ever drafted, God bless brother
October 21st, 2025 at 10:14 am
expected to lose him for more games and career-wize last night, but not this way. man.
October 21st, 2025 at 10:17 am
Yes truly sad seeing Mike on the turf. To me it was clear he lost concsienious. he was out stone cold from the camera shot. I am not sure why they show that. It was also obvious by the way he just let the ball go and his body just went limp. I am not sure why the announcers did not say anything, it was abundantly clear. Maybe, they were trying to be senitive to the moment, I hope.
With that said, my guess he is out for the year. Does he retire, we will see. However my hat is off to him, great player, incredible dedication. He has done a ton for the community. Prayers and wishing him the well. Definately tough to see!!. We love to watch the game, but it is brutal on the players at any given point in time
October 21st, 2025 at 10:19 am
This would be a sad end to an illustrious career
October 21st, 2025 at 10:22 am
I hate this mentality. Players play, and they play hurt. This ain’t your grandma’s couch wrapped in plastic, this is the NFL
October 21st, 2025 at 10:27 am
Seeing Mike injured and carted off really deflated the team. Sad to see him imjured, even sadder to see the insensitive litle jerk dancing around Mike while he was on the turf.
Grow up, kid….there are some things more important than football…!
October 21st, 2025 at 10:33 am
ChiBuc … ‘I hate this mentality. Players play, and they play hurt. This ain’t your grandma’s couch wrapped in plastic, this is the NFL’.
No question that NFL football is a VERY violent sport. Players get hurt virtually every game, some for just a game or 2, some for an extended period of time.
But you’d better be 100% (or very very close) to play against monsters. Have seen far too many times over the years where players insist on playing even though they’re only 80% or whatever, and then they get hurt even more. All of them want to protect their job, and I don’t blame them.
But it’s up to the coaching staff and medical folks to determine if they’re fully qualified to take the field. Understandable that they want their best players out there, even if only operating at 80%, but there’s dangers inherent in that approach also.
October 21st, 2025 at 10:46 am
MY SINCEREST PRAYERS FOR MIKE,S RECOVERY AND FOR HIS FAMILY! Mike is not only the best receiver for us, but also the soul of this team and a huge heart for our community! I already have him and his family in my and my friends prayer circle. God’s speed MIKE and we hope for your return soon as possible!!
October 21st, 2025 at 10:47 am
Guys are operating at 80% each week. Not all of them get injured worse.
This wasn’t even a hammy injury or because of it, just a uncalled PI and terrible landing.
October 21st, 2025 at 11:23 am
Best wishes to ME13!!!
October 21st, 2025 at 11:24 am
All of you complaining about rushing Mike back – this injury had zero to do with that. It would have happened if Mike hadn’t pulled his hammy.
Stop being such a bunch of babies.
October 21st, 2025 at 11:25 am
@DR, no doubt there is inherent risk when playing at 80%, but that risk remains at 100% health. Look at Goedeke, McMillan, Bucky, all on extended time off when entering a game at “100%.”
Also, I understand guys are competitors and want to ‘protect their jobs,’ but let’s be realistic that Mike Evans does not fall into that need category. His job is safe, however, there may be an ego component concerning the streak, but he ain’t putting himself in harm’s way unnecessarily as we see every year with an annual hammy break.
ME13 did not reinjure his hamstring, he was injured by an illegal horse collar hip tackle. Players, coaches, teams cannot mitigate for every what if. Players are huge investments by all accounts and nobody protects an investment more than stakeholders/owners (players/coaches/owners). These men have access to world class medical staff and equipment. They are regularly evaluated and treated. Their entire career investment is their body, so they are in tune with its needs. It is utterly ludicrous to suggest that a player should rest based on fan observation/insights, which most here are getting from joebucsfan
October 21st, 2025 at 11:29 am
I wonder what percentage of our salary cap is sitting in the tub…
Godwin $22M
Goedeke $22M
Evans $26M
Reddick $14M
October 21st, 2025 at 11:32 am
Unfortunately this game brought to my mind the Ravens game last season where the loss was not so important compared to a damaging injury that causes problems for the rest of the year.
This season has been brutal on the injury front and at some point you cant overcome all that.
Go Bucs
October 21st, 2025 at 11:36 am
Don’t forget JMac and his Todd Bowles neck injury. What a mess.
October 21st, 2025 at 11:48 am
I don’t know. I am doubting Godwin comes back in any condition to be a threat of at all. Hope I’m wrong.
October 21st, 2025 at 11:54 am
Lets see, horse collar(illegal due to high risk of injury) “defenseless receiver” (feet off the ground) not to mention the blatant PI.
Had this been any of our DB’s (who thankfully don’t play that dirty) they would have been flagged at the very least, possibly tossed, and then fined by the NFL suits the next day.
There was no flag, there will be no fine.
Bias anyone?
October 21st, 2025 at 12:00 pm
“I’m banking on Bucky returning – entirely different game last night with Bucky”
We ran the ball 11 times my boy, Bucky coming off a foot and shoulder injury wouldn’t have made much of a difference last night. Good thought, but our problem was far from who we had and closer to how we played as a team.
October 21st, 2025 at 12:13 pm
I hate to say it BUT – it’s time to retire…
Even when healthy ME13 is just a mediocre WR earning @ 10% of the Bucs salary cap.
ME 13TH will always be one of my favorite Bucs of all time but father time is the only undefeated entity in the NFL.
Just ask Julio Jones…
October 21st, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Keep Bucky out until after the bye. If the Bucs can’t beat the Aints without him, they have no busines winning the NFC south.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:01 pm
“All of you complaining about rushing Mike back – this injury had zero to do with that. It would have happened if Mike hadn’t pulled his hammy.”
NOPE! You don’t know that kid. Thats an unknowable. If Mike is two steps slower because he wasn’t 100% he catches the ball at a different angle and perhaps lands fine OR he is two steps further downed the field and Baker sees that and throws farther
So no one is proven right or wrong in this case. You won’t convince me with Godwin though . Something is up with him not looking good coming back and then otu again for multiple weeks.. the argument well its different part of the body – don’t care its a single person and players get other injuries all the time form adjusting to not being 100%
October 21st, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Scour the practice squads for receivers
October 21st, 2025 at 1:07 pm
It seems to be overlooked that Irving sustained a shoulder subluxation. This injury often results in a tear to the labrum to varying degree.
Recovery time depends on the severity of the subluxation. It may take a few weeks to several months for the shoulder to heal and regain full function.
It is unlikely that Irving will be as effective this season as he was last season due to the higher likelihood of recurrence of the injury and natural tentativeness while playing during the recovery process.
If he comes back after the bye he will not be 100%. Don’t be surprised if he re-injures the shoulder and misses more time.
Sean Tucker needs to stay ramped up and ready.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:27 pm
Gotti-Dog,
You are right. Shoulder injuries are the trickiest. A lot of moving parts. Even when there is assurance of where the damage is, it takes a long time to heal and rehabilitate.
October 21st, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Yes, there Saints game heading into the bye week is a must win. Then, we come out facing the Patriots, which is going to be tough.
The only good news that came out of last night was the DBs and pressure was up. I dont know how long before Brasswell, Hall, and Watts should look good, but we are right back to the same Edge, ILB and OT problem we had last season.
Mike is done. He has been a class act and his family deserves all thr flowers they receive. Chris must have a stress-free fracture that hurts but they can’t see it on an MRI. This would mean he is done.
I tell you, Jarrett and Palmer looks pretty good right now. Baker needs some rest. Tucker needs snaps and so does Culp. They have worn down the guys they have instead of rotating. Overall, we just need Geodeke. If we get him back the offense will be fine.
October 21st, 2025 at 6:34 pm
He will heal but he wont have peace of mind when he comes back on the field. The risk of reinjuring is high
October 21st, 2025 at 7:15 pm
The Bucs lost because the Baker is putting to much pressure on himself to get Evans the ball and this happens every time. I understand that Evans is your boy and you want him to get that thousand yards but if he gets it he gets it if not he’s still going to be one of the best wide receivers but I guarantee you’ll that was Baker’s problem. Evans just got back it’s not like he was going to get 800 yards in his first game back. Before this game the Baker was spreading the ball around to 10 different players. This happened last year also. Stop focusing on Evans. It’s like he’s only locked into Evans every time. I love Evans but come on man!! We will win the rest of the games and after bye week watch out everyone.