The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to play their second division game of the year against the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs beat the Saints once in Week 8 already, and they did it without star wide receiver Mike Evans. That might not be the case this weekend, though.
Evans is back at practice this week after breaking his collarbone in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, and there’s a possibility that he could play against the Saints this weekend. While that isn’t a guarantee, quarterback Baker Mayfield is excited at the prospect of his return.
Baker Mayfield speaks on Mike Evans’ impact
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) signals to wide receiver Mike Evans (13) | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Mayfield has talked about it before, but he’s very grateful that Mike Evans can potentially come back to the fold sooner or later. He mentioned that one of the biggest things Evans can do is help pull coverage away from Tampa Bay’s numerous other weapons.
“[We] talked about it to [an extent], but Mike [Evans] just attracts so much attention. His playmaking ability is great to have, obviously, I can trust him [and] know where he’s going to be. He just attracts so much attention; it really affects how a defense is going to play you, how a coordinator is going to call
it. We’ll see how they progress continually, but yeah, getting him and ‘J-Mac’ (Jalen McMillan) — for ‘J-Mac’ it’s been a long time coming, going back to training [camp] and preseason games.
“He’s worked his tail off to get to this point, so hopefully he keeps heading in the right direction. It will keep getting better for us, but like I said last week, we have all we need to win right now. Those pieces will be bonuses for us, but we need to execute with what we have right now.”
The Bucs were able to execute without Evans or Jalen McMillan against the Saints the first time, but any help could make a game the Bucs should win even easier. Evans has caught just 14 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown this year, but he remains a lethal threat — and his jump ball prowess should help the Buccaneers a ton in their struggle against man coverage this season.
 The Buccaneers play the Saints on Sunday at 1 p.m.
READ MORE: Buccaneers starter returns to practice for first time since preseason
Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 season.
Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook
More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News
• Buccaneers’ Mike Evans named as top-graded free agent heading into offseason
• Buccaneers’ chance at making the NFL playoffs is getting tight
• Buccaneers’ Todd Bowles evaluates pass rush, Haason Reddick after Cardinals win
• What getting Chris Godwin back to his old self means for Buccaneers