Bucs' Mike Evans Reportedly Will Play vs. Washington Despite Knee Injury

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will play in Saturday night's NFC Wild Card Round playoff game against the Washington Football Team despite a knee injury, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and James Palmer.

The 27-year-old was the top target for quarterback Tom Brady throughout the regular season, with 70 catches, 1,006 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns through all 16 games, until he departed the final game early with a knee injury.

An MRI of the injury showed no structural damage and little swelling, resulting in a diagnosis of a hyperextended knee and a day-to-day designation.

By surpassing the 1,000-yard mark for the seventh consecutive season, Evans set an NFL record for the best start to a receiver's career.

The Texas A&M product has been a consistent part of the offense over the years, having missed just three games through five seasons before he was ruled out for the last three games of 2019.

Brady would have had a strong group of pass-catchers at his disposal with or without Evans on Saturday with wideout Chris Godwin and tight end Rob Gronkowski as well as receiver Antonio Brown, who has exploded in recent weeks after Tampa Bay signed him midseason.

With Evans reportedly in the lineup, Washington will have to defend another elite talent, and it will have to be especially cognizant of the 6'5" wideout's presence in the red zone. Nine of his scores have come from inside the 9-yard line.

Washington was already the underdog after going just 7-9 during the regular season, but Evans figures to bolster Tampa Bay's chances.