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Reuters

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Reuters

It’s Bucs vs. Ravens on MNF, and you just know it’s going to be a nail-biter as both teams are sitting at 4-2. But here’s the kicker—the Bucs might have just gotten some quiet but hopeful news about Mike Evans. And it came in the most subtle way possible.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

The Mike Evans Family Foundation casually dropped a graphic of the star receiver on X with the caption, “Back home for Monday Night Football.” No big explanation, but it has got the fans excited. Evans has been dealing with a nagging hamstring issue, and whether he’ll suit up on MNF? Well, that’s still a question mark.

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Up until Saturday morning, Evans was still on the IR list, making things look a bit bleak. But then, he suddenly wasn’t anymore, a quiet yet positive update for Bucs fans. And if we add that to him playing against the Saints in week 6, it gets even more optimistic. Now, a couple of things are key to note here if we are to say that Evans will be there to cause some pain to the Purple Pain on Monday.

For starters, he was clearly limited in action against New Orleans. Not exactly the full-throttle Evans we’re used to seeing. He was on the field for only 57% of snaps and you could tell he wasn’t at 100%. But that was then, and the updates now do suggest that he’ll be back to a normal workload in week 7.

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And if anything, the Bucs need him to be fit. Especially with the Ravens soaring high on a four-game winning streak and being favored on the road, Tampa Bay is going to need Evans at his best.

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Mike Evans: The underrated centurion!

Both teams rank top three in the NFL in scoring, so the Bucs will need every bit of firepower to keep up. And let’s be real—without Mike Evans on the outside, that task gets a lot harder. But you can bet he’s itching to play against Baltimore. Why?

See, the thing is, he already has 100 career TDs (total) and just needs one more to complete the century of receiving TDs. Sure, it depends on how ready he is. But with all the updates coming in thick and fast. Our best guess is that Baker Mayfield would be getting his go-to wideout back on the gridiron.

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As if the Bucs weren’t already looking threatening. Now, with Evans’ update, they have got fire under their bellies. The 31-year-old has so far snagged 25 catches over 310 YDs and has scored 5 TDs this season. All of that, while shrugging off that pesky hamstring issue.

I mean, that shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Evans is a 5-time pro bowler with one ring to flaunt. In 11 seasons in Tampa, he has weathered more storms than many can bear. Now, the Bucs need their 31-year-old yet again to be the key piece, playing the perfect scarecrow to the Ravens.

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Syed Talib Haider

1,219 Articles

Syed Talib Haider is the NFL Editor at EssentiallySports with over five years of experience as a sports beat reporter. He began his journey at the outlet covering the NFL, steadily building a strong readership for his in-depth reporting on major events, most notably as a senior writer during Super Bowl LIX, where his coverage helped capture the immediacy and drama of the game. His work during that season led to his promotion to the editorial desk, where he now oversees NFL coverage and guides the outlet’s strategy.

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Cristin Varghese

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