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Everyone knows that Mike Evans is a tough guy. So when it was announced that the Bucs’ leading receiver suffered no structural damage to his knee after injuring it against the Falcons, it was clear he would do everything in his power to play in his first-ever playoff game.
The team, media, and Bucs fans everywhere were given hope when Bruce Arians said after Thursday’s practice that Evans “has a chance to play” and “will be a game-time decision”.
That hope turned even more into reality late Friday night after Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reported that Evans does in fact plan on playing in Saturday’s game.
From @NFLTotalAccess on some Wild Card injuries to watch:
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 9, 2021
--#Bills WR Stefon Diggs a go, while Cole Beasley believes he can tough it out vs. #Colts
--#Buccaneers WR Mike Evans plans to play against the #WashingtonFootball Team
--#Saints DE Trey Hendrickson ruled out vs. #Bears pic.twitter.com/aXmTSXpflZ
It sounds like this is going to happen. If it does happen, the only questions that remain pertain to how many snaps he plays and how effective he is when he is actually on the field.
Evans has 70 receptions for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year. His 13 touchdowns are a franchise- and career-best. He also broke his and Randy Moss’ record of six consecutive 1,000 yard seasons to start a career in the season finale against the Falcons.