Jalen McMillan suffered three broken vertebrae in his neck during a preseason game after a promising rookie season and endured a difficult recovery. Mike Evans, who also landed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone, mentored McMillan during their shared time out and reinforced McMillan's confidence and worth as a receiver. Both returned in Week 15 after sitting on injured reserve. General manager Jason Licht and coach Todd Bowles expressed a desire to keep Evans in Tampa long-term, while Evans' agent indicated Evans will play in 2026 and will explore free agency options.
"TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan was enduring one of the lowest and loneliest points of his life -- recovering from three broken vertebrae in his neck that he suffered during a preseason game after a promising rookie season -- when Mike Evans, the Bucs' all-time leading scorer, gave him a much-needed boost. "I think he helped me understand my worth as a receiver, and he was able to teach me that it's OK to make mistakes," McMillan said."
"Evans landed alongside McMillan on injured reserve after he suffered a broken collarbone in Week 7. Neither returned until Week 15, which made for a lot of deep conversation between the veteran and 2024 third-round draft pick. But it wasn't that McMillan didn't believe in himself after the devastating injury. "No, I did," McMillan said. "But when it comes to Mike Evans, you kind of just feel different about yourself.""
Read at ESPN.com
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