Less than two months ago, the world came crashing down for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A 6-1 start turned into a midseason slump after a loss to the Lions, but watching Mike Evans' season likely end with a broken clavicle was almost too much to bare.
As it turns out, his season was far from over.
On Wednesday, the Buccaneers not only opened Evans' window to come off IR, but he returned to practice. This latest twist comes on the heels of Todd Bowles stating that there's a possibility Evans plays on Sunday, something that seemed like a stretch at the time but is way more possible now.
Evans still might need a week or so to ramp up, though, but the fact that he's returning to practice -- even if he doesn't play -- is massive.
The good news doesn't end there. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Jalen McMillan has also been medically cleared and returned to practice as well. That means the Bucs could be operating with a full offense for the first time all season when the Saints come to town in a few days.
Sources: #Bucs legendary WR Mike Evans is having his practice window opened off IR, and he’ll return to practice today. A quicker than expected return from a broken clavicle, Evans has been medically cleared.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 3, 2025
So Jalen McMillan and Evans practice today. pic.twitter.com/rI3UxphRjX
Getting Evans and McMillan back is good for a number of reasons but it also potentially changes the entire course of the Buccaneers' next three games -- which are critical to fully turning the season around.
For as bad as the losing streak has been, especially with it happening against the Panthers' surge, the Bucs are in a position to wrap up the NFC South a lot sooner than everyone thinks.
If Tampa Bay wins its next three games, it will clinch a fifth straight division title. Two of those games feel easier than the third, as the Saints and Falcons are among the league's bottom feeders but the Panthers are the hot team of the moment.
Dave Canales has totally turned things around in Carolina, and the Panthers own some of the more surprising upsets of the season. A road win over the Packers put them on the map but last Sunday's win over the No. 1 seed Rams has everyone on notice.
Still, the Bucs just need two wins to enter Week 15's matchup with the Panthers with a chance to win the division. If that happens, the team that fell into another midseason slump will have won its division with three games left.
Getting Evans and McMillan back now helps move the needle more in that direction. It also means for the first time this season we could see what a fully operational Buccaneers offense looks like. Not a single game has featured Evans, McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, Bucky Irving, or Chris Godwin all on the field at the same time.
This latest plot twist indicates we're as close as ever to seeing that happen, and it couldn't come at a more perfect time for the Bucs.