Buccaneers Wideouts Get Promising Injury Updates on Friday

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' receiving corps is already banged up, but at least they seem to be trending in the right direction ahead of their Week 2 showdown with the New Orleans Saints.

Mike Evans (calf) and Julio Jones (knee) both returned to practice for Tampa Bay on Friday, although fellow receiver Chris Godwin (hamstring) remained sidelined.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Injury Update

Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

While Godwin is still out after exiting Week 1's win over the Dallas Cowboys with a hamstring issue, it's encouraging to see Evans and Jones back at practice. Both appear likely to play on Sunday in New Orleans, where the Bucs are 2.5-point road favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds.

This is mostly good news for Tom Brady, as Evans and Jones were two of his most trusted weapons during Week 1. Evans led the team in targets (7), catches (5) and receiving yards (71) while also hauling in Brady's lone touchdown pass. Jones ranked second in all three categories as well, catching 3-of-5 targets for 69 yards in his Tampa debut.

Godwin's presence will be missed, however, as he secured 3 catches for 35 yards before departing. If he's ruled out, Evans and Jones will need to step up in his absence against a tough Saints defense if the Buccaneers are going to improve to 2-0.