The sight of Mike Evans clutching his shoulder in Detroit was enough to make any Tampa Bay fan feel a pit in their stomach. It wasn't just another injury. It was the moment the Buccaneers' 2025 season shifted from a sprint to a survival test.
He’s the engine. When he’s not on the field, the geometry of the offense just looks wrong.
If you’ve been scouring the wire asking how long is Mike Evans out, the good news is that the "out" part of the sentence is finally in the rearview mirror. But the road to get here was a mess of hamstrings and bone fractures that nearly derailed a legendary career streak.
The Timeline: How Long Was Mike Evans Out?
Mike Evans is officially back in the lineup as of January 2026.
Honestly, it’s been a brutal year for him. Most people forget that the fractured collarbone wasn't even the first setback. Evans actually started the 2025 season by missing three games due to a moderate hamstring strain suffered back in Week 3 against the New York Jets. He returned, looked like his usual self for a minute, and then the nightmare scenario happened in Week 7 against the Lions.
A deep ball. A hard landing. A fractured clavicle.
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That second injury cost him six full games. He was placed on Injured Reserve on October 22, and for a while, there was real chatter that he might just shut it down for the year. He didn’t. Evans was activated from IR on December 10, just in time for a Thursday night clash against Atlanta.
Since then, he has been ramping up. By the time the Week 18 finale against the Panthers rolled around on January 10, he was off the injury report entirely.
The 1,000-Yard Streak: A Heartbreaking End
We have to talk about the streak. For 11 straight seasons, Mike Evans hit 1,000 receiving yards. It was the kind of consistency that made him a first-ballot Hall of Fame lock.
It’s over.
Because of the two separate stints on the sideline, Evans only appeared in eight games during the 2025 regular season. You can't miss half a year and expect to put up those kinds of numbers, especially with Baker Mayfield having to learn to trust rookie Emeka Egbuka in the interim. Evans finished the year with fewer than 400 yards.
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It’s the first time in his professional life he hasn't hit that milestone.
What This Injury Means for 2026 and Beyond
There is a silver lining here. Evans recently told reporters, including Greg Auman, that being sidelined by the collarbone injury actually rejuvenated his love for the game. He realized how much he hated sitting on the couch.
But there’s a massive "if" hanging over the locker room.
- Free Agency: Evans is technically a free agent heading into the 2026 offseason.
- The Contract: At 32 years old, does Tampa Bay offer him the legacy deal he wants, or do they look at the 2025 injury report and get cold feet?
- The Chemistry: Baker Mayfield is still the guy, but the offensive coordinator position is currently a question mark.
The team has already started signing players to "futures contracts" for the 2026 season. Names like Marcus Banks are being locked in, but the big #13 is the one everyone is waiting on.
Why the Recovery Took So Long
Hamstrings are tricky. Collarbones are worse.
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When Evans fractured his clavicle, the initial worry was a 10-week recovery. He managed to beat that by about two weeks, but you could tell he wasn't 100% in those first few games back in mid-December. He was playing a "decoy" role, drawing double coverage so Chris Godwin and Egbuka could find space.
It wasn't until the very end of the season that he looked like the Mike Evans who bullies cornerbacks in the red zone.
If you're wondering how long is Mike Evans out for the playoffs, the answer is he isn't. He’s healthy. He’s playing. He scored touchdowns in back-to-back games to close out the schedule. He’s essentially playing on a "prove-it" basis right now to show the front office that 2025 was a fluke, not the start of a decline.
Actionable Insights for Bucs Fans and Fantasy Managers
If you’re looking ahead to the 2026 season or the current playoff run, here is what you need to keep in mind:
- Watch the Snap Counts: Evans moved from a 50% snap share in his first game back to over 74% by Week 17. He’s back to his workhorse status.
- Monitor the Front Office: The period between March 9 and March 11 is huge. That’s the legal tampering window. If Evans hasn't signed an extension with the Bucs by then, prepare for him to test the market.
- Physicality Check: Watch how he goes up for contested catches. The collarbone is healed, but the mental hurdle of taking a hit is often the last thing to return for a veteran receiver.
The 2026 offseason starts officially on March 11. Until then, the focus is entirely on whether Evans can lead one last deep playoff run in the uniform he's worn his entire career. He’s healthy now, but the business side of football is just getting started.
Focus on the upcoming franchise tag deadline on March 3. If the Bucs don't use it or sign him before then, the Mike Evans era in Tampa could actually be reaching its final chapter. Keep an eye on the injury reports during playoff weeks, but for now, the "out" status is a thing of the past.