Todd Bowles: Mike Evans And Jalen McMillan Making Good Progress
December 6th, 2025
Just a few more days for Mike Evans.
So despite Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan returning to the practice fields at One Buc Palace earlier this week, Bucs coach Todd Bowles told the local pen and mic club yesterday to hold up. Fans won’t get to see the Bucs’ wide receiver duo back in action. Yet.
McMillan broke his neck when he was undercut by a piece of Steelers camp meat in a worthless preseason game. Evans, after missing time with his annual hamstring issues, broke his clavicle when he was ridden to the turf of Ford Field by Lions defensive back Rock Ya-Sin.
Bowles said the decision not to play them doesn’t mean the two aren’t making progress.
“He did a lot, as far as catching the ball and running routes,” Bowles said of Evans. “He looks good but just getting back, so we’ll give him a chance to get acclimated.”
Later, Bowles offered up a comment on both Evans and McMillan.
“Yeah, I feel great about it,” Bowles said. “They look good.”
Joe has to believe one of the reasons Bowles decided not to play Evans and McMillan is that they are just now getting back into shape. After tomorrow’s game, the Bucs have a quick turnaround with a game Thursday night facing Kirk “509” Cousins and the Dixie Chicks.
Having two guys not yet in game shape playing two games in five days might be biting off more than they can chew.
Letting them return on Thursday gives them 10 days to recover for the next game.
And yeah, knowing how the slimy Saints are dirty, it would suck to see them target Evans and/or McMillan and put one out for the year.
Ira Kaufman Talks State Of The Week 14 Bucs Defense, Locker Room Chatter, Ex-Buc Comments, Bucs-Saints Predictions & More
December 6th, 2025 at 12:22 am
It’s a good call with the short turnaround. Theoretically they are needed much more vs ATL than they are this week.
ATL secondary only seems to pay to their potential vs the Bucs. Every week the highlights of ATL amaze me. Secondary getting roasted with Terrell and Bates out there, then it’s a game vs the Bucs and they are back to looking like All Pros.
December 6th, 2025 at 1:17 am
This can’t be… Jeff told us all that Evans was done for the season awhile back.
December 6th, 2025 at 1:30 am
Healthy team going forward. Go Bucs!
December 6th, 2025 at 3:04 am
Let’s get everybody healthy here for a playoff run. But of course, the the Putrid Pass defense will only look better once the offense looks better and can get some leads and more possession time. Go Bucs!
December 6th, 2025 at 4:17 am
Keep them healthy, for sure. I never thought we would see Jalen back this season and am so happy about that. Very happy Mike is doing well and would love to see him hit his yards, but definitely want him in healthy first.
December 6th, 2025 at 5:26 am
Yeah Mike only needs to average 210 yards per game to hit 1000. LOL
December 6th, 2025 at 5:38 am
Good call as we should be able to beat saints at home without them ,,, that’s got to be the focus , to win the division games (saints/atl) and at least split w the panthers should be good enough to win division at 10-7 with in division games being 2nd tiebreaker after head to head (split) , of course 12-5 sounds much better
December 6th, 2025 at 6:52 am
The concept of football shape makes me roll my eyes. I wrestled in high school and we didn’t fill out our upper weight classes until football season was over. The “in shape” players who went from football to wrestling spent their first couple of practices throwing their guts up. I’ve always wondered how much better the Bucs would be if the team was in wrestling shape instead of football shape.I guarantee the defense wouldn’t gas out in the fourth quarter.
December 6th, 2025 at 7:52 am
F the ain’ts.
December 6th, 2025 at 7:56 am
How about the TEAM YOU COACH???
December 6th, 2025 at 8:24 am
OK outrigger. We get it.
December 6th, 2025 at 9:58 am
Fair enough comparing High School wrestling to high school football — yet to me, I do not see that as the right comparison.
Sure, in the offseason — doing other sports to give yourself some sort of edge — I am for it.
However, during the season — it’s all about ability to play football on Sunday — take all that punishment of football — and then turn around again somehow get ready for the next week and more punishment.
BTW — Just watched a Glue Guys podcast from 2 months ago — Alex Smith talking about the difference between High School, College, and Pros
December 6th, 2025 at 10:09 am
Broken clavicle and broken neck …
Unlike some here who compare their playground, work or high school injuries to those of professional football players (‘took me six months to heal after I ran into a tree’), there are levels to all broken bones.
Is the bone broken in two pieces, is it partially broken where the bone remains as one with a slight break, or is it cracked?
Wish the doctors and staff would be more forthcoming with their diagnosis’s and potential healing times.
Granted, most of us can’t read the details of an MRI or X-ray with more than a superficial guesswork. But if we’re shown a picture of a bone in two pieces vs one displaying a crack, we can usually determine what’s going on, especially with an accompanying explanation. In other words, is it a Joe Theismann break or something less deleterious?
Come on guys, fess up. We’re not all medical morons.
December 6th, 2025 at 10:55 am
509 Cousins, brilliant. Too bad he plays for a divisional opponent. It’s nice that Bowles gives these guys career numbers and highlights. He is so generous reminds me of McCoy apologizing to opposing qbs. Soft. Fire over confident mistake prone clueless Bowles!
December 6th, 2025 at 11:15 am
Can’t wait to see this offense with all their weapons. WR 1 Evans WR 1A Godwin WR 2 Egbuka WR 2A JMac WR 3 Tez WR 4 Shepard WR 5 Kameron WR 6 Miller
December 6th, 2025 at 11:38 am
Fire Todd
December 6th, 2025 at 11:45 am
This is great and helpful. The big one will be Kancey returning. We desperately can use his pass rushing and he also gets tackles for loss in the run game.
What’s best case scenario for his return? Miami game to get feet wet and last game of season against the Panthers? Hopefully get the rust off and build stamina ahead of the 1st playoff game.
December 6th, 2025 at 6:47 pm
Bucs have the luxury to beat the Saints without them, glad they have more time to get ready
Carolina soon to be humbled as well when the Bucs face them at near full strength