Will wide receivers Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football?
Mike Evans And Emeka Egbuka Injury Updates
MOOD pic.twitter.com/ES4fFnzZid
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 20, 2025
Baker Mayfield will have two of his top targets against the Lions.
Evans and Egbuka are active and will play on Monday Night Football.
Evans has missed the last three weeks with a hamstring injury. Evans practiced last Thursday in a limited capacity and was a full participant on Saturday.
In three games, Evans has 14 receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown. The 32-year-old veteran has 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start his career. If Evans wants to continue that streak, he likely cannot miss more time this season.
Egbuka exited the Buccaneers’ Week 6 win over the San Francisco 49ers with a hamstring injury. Reports that Egbuka wouldn’t play in Week 7 surfaced early last week.
However, Egbuka surprisingly practiced in a limited capacity, opening the door to play on Monday.
Egbuka went through a pregame workout on Monday, and the Bucs training staff deemed him available to play.
The rookie is having a fantastic season with the Bucs, with 27 receptions, 469 yards, and five touchdowns.
While Evans and Egbuka will play, Chris Godwin will sit out again with a fibula injury.
Buccaneers vs. Lions Preview
Detroit vs. Tampa Bay on Monday Night 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cpWt1bquUH
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 20, 2025
Two of the top teams in the NFC face off in the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader.
If the season ended today, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield would be the MVP of the league.
The 30-year-old is playing out of his mind this season, with 1,539 yards, 12 touchdowns, and one interception with a 71.1 QBR.
Mayfield is doing this despite missing some of the team’s best offensive players for periods of time, including Evans, Ebuka, Godwin, Bucky Irving, and Tristan Wirds.
Irving, the team’s leading rusher, will miss his third consecutive game with shoulder and foot injuries.
On the other side, the Detroit Lions are coming off a tough 30-17 primetime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Lions had a chance to strike first and go up 7-0. However, an illegal formation took away a Jared Goff touchdown on the first drive, forcing the Lions to settle for a field goal.
While the Bucs have suffered numerous injuries to their offense, the Lions are wounded on the defensive side, especially in their secondary. Safety Kerby Joseph (knee), cornerback Avonte Maddox (hamstring), and CB Terrion Arnold (shoulder) are all out.
Safety Brian Branch is also serving a one-game suspension for his actions at the end of the Chiefs’ game.
The Bucs (5-1) face the Lions (4-2) in Detroit at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC.
