On Thursday, Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith said that wide receiver Mike Evans didn’t need to practice in order to play in Sunday’s opener against the Titans if he felt good come gameday.
It certainly makes it easier to put him out on the field if he’s had some practice time, though, and Evans was able to return to action on Friday. It was the first time that Evans practiced since hurting his hamstring in late August and he was in high spirits after the session.
“I feel great,” Evans said, via Pewter Report. “I was able to run some routes full-speed and it felt good.”
Evans is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game and Smith said to “keep in mind” that it was a Friday practice when thinking about what the return means for Evans’s chances of getting on the field against Jacksonville. Given Smith’s previous comments about being willing to play Evans if he didn’t practice, however, it seems like a pretty good bet that he’ll answer the bell for the season if he avoided aggravating the injury during his return to the field.
