Buccaneers WR Mike Evans injury update, game status Week 16 vs Cowboys

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers has enjoyed one of the most accomplished wide receiver runs in NFL history. Right from the start, Mike Evans has been the best for the NFC South squad. The Galveston, TX and Texas A&M alum had no trouble acclimating to the NFL way back in 2014, racking up 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie campaign.

He has achieved the mark every season since, an incredible 11-year run that has put him in strong contention to one day earn a bust in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame in Canton. However, this year has been a bit of a struggle as injuries have robbed him of significant playing time for just the second time in his career.

Evans has appeared in just 11 of the Bucs’ 14 games so far this year, meaning he could max out 14 games if he’s able to make it through the final three games on the schedule. In the hunt for the playoffs, the 8-6 Bucs need him more than ever, having already lost his counterpart, Chris Godwin, for the year.

Evans appeared on this week’s injury report after missing practice on Wednesday. The question is, will he be able to play against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16?

The answer appears to be yes, as Evans sat out purely for rest purposes. He has completely put his midseason injury woes behind him and has appeared in Tampa Bay’s last four games with great results.

In Week 15, he caught nine passes for 159 yards, both season highs, to help the Bucs throttle the Los Angeles Chargers 40-17. That put him once again within striking distance of 1,000 yards as he now has 749 on the season with three contests remaining.

With Trevon Diggs out for this game, Dallas will have to rely on DaRon Bland and Caelon Carson to try to contain the 6-foot-5, 231-pound terror on the boundary.