There has been a lot of hope about Bucs wide receiver Jalen McMillan being able to come back this season after the scary neck injury he suffered. The expectation was he’d be back at some point in December, and whenever he returned, the second-year wide receiver would gladly be welcomed back into a wide receiver room that could use reinforcements.

But as more information comes about from said neck injury, it’s evident that there should be more importance on McMillan getting healthier overall as a human than being able to get back in time as a football player.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was on the Ira Kaufman Podcast this week where he shared more information about McMillan. It’s a neck injury, but it’s actually some broken bones in his neck that he’s had to overcome.

Todd Bowles Gives More Injury Info About Bucs’ Jalen McMillan

“It’s just a matter of the bones healing the right way,” Bowles said. “And those are such difficult bones to judge inside the neck, and I’m not in the medical profession, but he’s coming along. I think he’s in good spirits. And I think he’s getting a lot better, I just don’t know how close.”

Jalen McMillan injured his neck in a preseason game against the Steelers. He jumped up to make a catch and was flipped backwards, landing on his neck and back. Somehow, he still held onto the football but was immediately taken out of the game.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: USA Today

Coming off of a rookie season where he had a great touchdown streak at the end of the year, McMillan was set to be a big part of the receiving corps for the Buc. With injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr., we have seen the emergence of Emeka Egbuka, but McMillan’s abilities are still sorely missed.

There hasn’t been an indication that McMillan has been ruled out for the season, but an injury this serious in nature makes it difficult to believe he’ll put on the red and pewter uniform this season.

“He’s still in a brace but he’s getting better,” Bowles said. “He’s getting better. But necks are not like ankles or arms, where you see progress — where you can lift on them and work them out while you’re still in a brace. And you can say, ‘Oh, he looks good today. He’s getting stronger. He’s getting faster.’

“It’s a neck injury. And those, it’s a life thing if it doesn’t heal the right way. So [team doctors] are saying it’s healing the right way. They’re saying he’s coming along. He’s feeling better. He’s all smiles. I don’t know what that means, honestly. Because again, until he puts on a helmet and starts working out and everything else, you just don’t know.”

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It’s at least good that McMillan is having a positive attitude about this. Hopefully fans will get to see him play this season, but his overall livelihood is more important.

With Evans out for the regular season and the returns of McMillan and Godwin Jr. still undetermined, a lot of is going to fall on the shoulders of rookie first round pick Emeka Egbuka and rookie seventh round pick Tez Johnson. They’ll also get help from Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson and Ryan Miller, but Egbuka and Tez Johnson have become the focal points of the passing game at receiver.

Bucs WRs Tez Johnson and Emeka Egbuka – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

During the time of the draft, many questioned why general manager Jason Licht selected Egbuka in the first round when they needed defensive help. Not only did Tampa Bay still revamp their defense this season, but the Bucs picked all defensive players for the rest of that draft until Johnson in the seventh round.

It’s good to have depth and it certainly has paid off for Tampa Bay. Let’s hope everyone can see their top receivers at some point soon.