The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seen their stacked wide receiver room ravaged by injury throughout the majority of the 2025 NFL season. Chris Godwin has never gotten back to 100% after his injury against the Baltimore Ravens in 2024, Mike Evans returned to the field after dealing with a hamstring issue only to hurt his clavicle and miss more time, and even Emeka Egbuka picked up a hamstring injury against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6.
Yet, Todd Bowles gave some insight behind what second-year Bucs WR Jalen McMillan has been dealing with since injurying his neck back during the 2025 NFL preseason.
Bucs WR Jalen McMillan Dealing with a Major Injury?
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles appeared on the Ira Kaufman Podcast on Thursday and gave a heartbreaking update of sorts on second-year WR Jalen McMillan — which revealed that the Washington product has been working through some broken bones in his neck.
âItâs just a matter of the bones healing the right way,â said Bowles. âAnd those are such difficult bones to judge inside the neck, and Iâm not in the medical profession, but heâs coming along. I think heâs in good spirits. And I think heâs getting a lot better, I just donât know how close.â
This is really unfortunate to hear, seeing that McMillan has been reported to be dealing with a strained neck. A football player dealing with broken bones in his neck in a contact sport is never a good thing to hear.
McMillan really emerged as a viable pass-catching weapon during his rookie year with the team with 37 receptions for 461 yards and eight touchdowns in just 13 games.
Will Jalen McMillan Return to the Field in 2025?
McMillan’s return to the field doesn’t feel like a guarantee at this time, but he does appear to be showing progress.
âHeâs getting better. But necks are not like ankles or arms, where you see progress â where you can lift on them and work them out while youâre still in a brace. And you can say, âOh, he looks good today,” added Bowles. “Heâs getting stronger. Heâs getting faster.â Itâs a neck injury. And those, like you said, itâs a life thing if it doesnât heal the right way. So [team doctors] are saying itâs healing the right way. Theyâre saying heâs coming along. Heâs feeling better. Heâs all similes. I donât know what that means, honestly. Because again, until he puts on a helmet and starts working out and everything else, you just donât know.â
McMillan could return in 2025, but the Bucs are understandably taking a very cautious approach regarding their young receiver.
Emeka Egbuka has been doing the vast majority of heavy lifting for the Bucs WR group in 2025. He leads the team in all receiving categories with 63 targets, 34 receptions, 562 yards, and five touchdowns.
Evans could return at some point this year, but is expected to miss at least up to two months with his clavicle injury.
Godwin has missed three consecutive games heading into the bye after missing three consecutive games to start the season while trying to work his way back into Pro Bowl form after dislocating his ankle last season.
Until the Bucs get Evans, Godwin, or McMillan back into the lineup, they will likely continue to lean heavily on Egbuka and Tez Johnson in the passing game.
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