Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield offers brutal reality of Mike Evans' injury

The NFL is a brutal business, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are finding that out right now with star receiver Mike Evans out for the foreseeable future with a broken collarbone.

Already with a depleted receiver room, Baker Mayfield lost perhaps his most trusted weapon for the majority of the year, and for a team that is fighting for the top seed in the NFC and possibly more, that isn't ideal.

But what Evans' injury also does is shine a light on the tough and brutal nature that is NFL football, and Baker described the two signs of the coin that he and the team have to navigate when it comes to Mike's injury.

“Unfortunately, from the business standpoint, you got to move forward, you can't focus on that, but from the personal side of it, it just sucks, it's the nature of this game,” Mayfield said. “Guys get hurt, and you don't like to see it.

"It's unfortunate, especially for Mike being the guy he is, the player he is, the leader for this organization, but we just going to have to find ways to fill the shoes, and it takes everybody at that point because it's Mike Evans.”

More: Buccaneers tumble in power rankings after Lions loss

When could Mike Evans return?

That will be the question everyone inside the building will be asking, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport posted on X that Evans could return in eight or fewer weeks, which would mean a December return, provided everything goes well.

So, there is a path back for No. 13, but that is provided his recovery goes off without any setbacks, and we assume the Buccaneers, who are at 5-2, will be playoff-bound, so there will be games for Evans to get his groove back before the "real stuff" starts.

Still, it is a long time to navigate without a top weapon, and the returns of Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin aren't set in stone. They are already ruled out of the New Orleans Saints clash, so it will again be the bare bones group for Mayfield, with only Emeka Egbuka as the main weapon.

Football is an unforgiving business, and the Evans injury isn't great, but his teammates have to put that to one side and focus on New Orleans, because that is a game they can't afford to lose.

More Buccaneers news:

• Is Emeka Egbuka injured? Why Buccaneers' WR isn't playing every snap on MNF
• Where is Shilo Sanders? Why Buccaneers' undrafted free agent signing isn't playing for Tampa Bay
• Why Browns let Baker Mayfield leave to become star Buccaneers QB
• Is Mike Evans playing tonight? Why Buccaneers WR is off to slow start in Week 7