We've officially reached the middle of training camp, which means even veterans who have been largely given a break need to punch in for a preseason game.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rested their starters for the opener last Saturday against the Titans, but that won't be the case against the Steelers. Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, and the starting crew will be out there this weekend, even if it's only for a drive or two in order to start shaking some rust off.
Not everyone will be out there, however.
Reports from joint practice on Thursday between the Bucs and Steelers were that Mike Evans looked absolutely spectacular. Beat writer Rick Stroud noted that Evans simply couldn't be covered at all, which was made even more impressive given that he was going up against All-Pro Jalen Ramsey.
Not only did Evans beat Ramsey in joint practice, he cooked Ramsey so bad that Todd Bowles gave him a little reward -- intentional or not.
Mike Evans beat Jalen Ramesy so bad at practice that the Bucs aren't playing him on Saturday
Bowles said after practice on Thursday that the Bucs would be playing every healthy starter against the Steelers except for two players: Evans and Lavonte David.
David has earned his stripes by being the longest tenured player on the roster, but Evans earned his rest on the practice field. Essentially, Evans cooked Ramsey so badly that he's getting the weekend off.
As if we needed another reason to consider Evans iconic.
Bucs WR Mike Evans couldn’t be covered during practice Thursday and won most of his battles with Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey. Todd Bowles has seen enough and won’t play him Sat.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 14, 2025
It's also a reminder of how high a level Evans is still operating at, even in what seems to be the twilight of his career. Already chronically underrated, Evans' age is now being held against him as a reason why he won't be the player everyone expects him to be this season.
We've been doing this dance long enough to know all the moves, but it's always hard to argue against Father Time. What Evans did at practice against the Steelers directly combats that in a way only he can, and in a way, Bucs fans have grown familiar with over the years.
Evans has hinted at retirement more often than Bucs fans would like to hear, but that doesn't mean he's walking away before he's read. Even after 11 years in the league, Evans still has a lot to accomplish -- most notably trying to break Jerry Rice's all-time streak for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
He can do that this upcoming season, which would be a perfect way to help the Bucs celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary. Evans has faced his doubters before, but if he looks anything like what he did at practice on Thursday, then getting a night off from work won't be the only accolade he gets this year.
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