In a press release, the NFL announced the league has suspended Bucs receiver Mike Evans one game without pay for his violations of unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. The Bucs will have to face the Green Bay Packers (1-1) at Raymond James Stadium without Evans this Sunday.

Evans came to his teammates defense after Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was jawing with quarterback Tom Brady and shoved running back Leonard Fournette. Tampa Bay’s Pro Bowl receiver charged into Lattimore, knocking him to the ground. Lattimore was not suspended by the league even though he instigated the altercation. The Bucs won the game, 20-10, in New Orleans.

Bucs QB Tom Brady, Bucs WR Mike Evans and Saints CB Marshon Lattimore – Photo by: USA Today

NFL VP of football operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension for a violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(g) which prohibits “unnecessary running, diving into, cutting, or throwing the body against or on a player who is out of the play or should not have reasonably anticipated such contact by an opponent, before or after the ball is dead.” Runyan also referenced Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which prohibits any act which is “contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”

In a letter to Evans, Runyan wrote: “After a play had ended, you were walking toward your sidelines. When you noticed your teammates engaged in a confrontation with Saints’ players, you ran toward that area of the field and violently threw your body into and struck an unsuspecting player who was part of that confrontation. You knocked your opponent to the ground and a melee ensued involving players from both teams. Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury to your opponent and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”

Evans will be eligible to return to the Bucs’ active roster on Monday, September 26, following the team’s September 25 game against Green Bay.

Bowles Reacts To Evans Being Suspended For Bucs vs. Packers Game

On Monday, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked about his thoughts on the brawl after watching the tape, and about Evans being suspended.

“The tape cuts off, all I can see is the TV copy,” Bowles said. “It doesn’t change my perspective. We don’t want any fighting in our game because we lose a good player. It doesn’t help our team. We don’t condone that, we don’t teach that, we don’t want that in our game.”

“He’ll get one game. I found that out about 10 minutes ago. He’ll have a one game suspension. Like I said, the fighting alone loses a player for the next game, it hurts our team because we lose a very good ball player. We don’t want that, we don’t condone it and we got to move forward try to find a way to win without him. That should be a lesson to all our other players.”

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Because of Evans’ recent restructuring of his 2022 base salary, the star receiver is only making $1.12 million, according to OverTheCap.com. The suspension will cost Evans $65,882. Next year, Evans’ salary balloons up to $13 million.

This is the second time Evans has been suspended by the NFL. He was also suspended one game for another physical altercation against Lattimore back in 2017 after the two fought in a game at New Orleans.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Evans may appeal his suspension. Any appeal will be heard and decided by Derrick Brooks or James Thrash. Those are the hearing officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.

Because Brooks is a former Buccaneer, he would likely have to recuse himself and let Thrash handle any appeal.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Evans will appeal his suspension.