The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Atlanta Falcons to kick off Week 15 with “Thursday Night Football.” The Buccaneers are clinging to a division lead in the NFC South, but get a much-needed boost in Week 15.
Veteran wide receiver Mike Evans, who hasn’t played since Oct. 20, was activated from injured reserve ahead of the game. He had been sidelined with a broken collarbone. Evans started his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons, but he only tallied 140 yards before getting hurt.
He would have to have one of the greatest four-game stretches for a wide receiver in nfl NFL history to maintain his streak, and it starts on Thursday night against Tampa Bay.
Here is a look at the Buccaneers’ wide receiver room at full strength in Week 15.
MORE WEEK 15 NFL:
Buccaneers WR depth chart
PositionPlayer Name1Mike Evans2Emeka Egbuka3Chris Godwin4Jalen McMillan5Tez Johnson6Sterling Shepard
Mike Evans
Evans is the top receiving option for quarterback Baker Mayfield when he is healthy. The pass-catcher is tied with Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Evans is the only player to start his career with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, but his streak is likely ending in 2025.
Emeka Egbuka
Egbuka was the Buccaneers’ first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is the latest in a line of successful pass-catchers at Ohio State University, and started his career on fire. Egbuka had 67 yards and two touchdowns in his first career game.
The rookie currently leads Tampa Bay with 806 yards and six touchdowns on 54 receptions. His performances have been inconsistent recently, so the return of Evans could take some attention off of him and let him get back into a consistent rhythm terrorizing defenses.
Chris Godwin
Godwin struggled with injuries this year, just like Evans. The veteran missed the start of the season due to a dislocated ankle suffered in 2024. After he returned, he had a leg injury that caused him to miss four more games.
Godwin has played in five games this season. He has 194 yards on 16 receptions and is still searching for his first score of the year.
MORE: Updated AFC, NFC playoff pictures heading into Week 15
Jalen McMillan
McMillan was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 461 yards and eight touchdowns on 37 receptions over 13 games.
McMillan has yet to play in the 2025 season. He suffered a neck injury that sidelined him the entire year so far, until he was activated for the Week 15 matchup against the Falcons.
Tez Johnson
With all of the injuries to the Buccaneers’ wide receiver room, Johnson has gotten the chance to step up. He was a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson has played in 12 games so far this season. He has come down with 24 receptions for 287 yards with five touchdowns.
Sterling Shephard
Shepard has been with the Buccaneers for two seasons. This year, he has tallied 371 yards, his most in a single season since 2020. With Evans and McMillan returning to the lineup, Shepard’s usage could take a big hit the rest of the season.
MORE: Updated 2026 NFL Draft order heading into Week 15
Buccaneers remaining schedule
Here is a look at Tampa Bay’s remaining regular-season schedule.
WeekOpponent16at Panthers17at Dolphins18vs. Panthers
