Tampa Bay Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans should be good to go Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Bears.
Head coach Dirk Koetter confirmed Thursday that the third-year wideout is no longer in the NFL’s concussion protocol. “That’s correct, yup. He’s good to go.”
Evans required further evaluation after getting hit hard by Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal last Thursday night while making an incredible one-handed catch near the sideline.
“We practice the thing and then it just happened; it just stuck to my glove,” Evans said Friday after practice, speaking to the media for the first time since Thursday’s game. “I took a nice hit, that’s pretty much it. I didn’t see him, because I had to contort my body and then he came and made a nice hit.”
Losing Evans for even a game would be a big loss to an already depleted offense. He’s leading the team in receptions (55), receiving yards (745) and receiving touchdowns (eight). Those numbers also rank Evans in the top five in the NFL in all three categories.
Evans added Friday that he doesn’t think he had a concussion, but understands that it’s standard practice to error on the side of caution when it comes to head injuries.
“I feel fine. I felt fine after the hit,” he said. “I didn’t have a concussion. But it’s up to them so they put me in the protocol, but I knew I didn’t have a concussion. I appreciate it. I just know my body and I didn’t have a concussion.”
According to the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee’s Protocols Regarding Diagnosis and Management of Concussion, there are a number of exams and tests a player must pass after suffering a concussion before returning to the field. These include undergoing repeat neuropsychological evaluations and returning to a baseline status of symptoms, passing a graduated exercise challenge, and getting cleared by the team physician and an independent neurological consultant.
Injury issues already left the Bucs playing last week with only four receivers. Wideouts on the current active roster are Evans, Adam Humphries, Freddie Martino, Russell Shepard and Cecil Shorts III. Shepard sat out the Falcons game and has yet to return to practice because of a hip injury.
Tampa Bay signed third-year receiver Josh Huff to the practice squad this week and Donteea Dye is also on that 10-man list. When asked Friday about Huff’s progression in just a few days with the team, head coach Dirk Koetter didn’t have much to say.
“He looked fine. He looked fine as a practice squad guy,” Koetter said. In regard to Huff remaining on the practice squad for the time being, Koetter replied with: “Yeah.”
