The Bucs could be without their number one receiver this Sunday against the Packers

Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans has been suspended one game by the NFL after his unnecessary roughness penalty in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Evans and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore got into it after a play mid-way through the game after Lattimore was jawing with a few Bucs players. Evans shoved Lattimore to the ground and chaos ensued. Both Evans and Lattimore were ejected from the game and now, the Bucs could be without Evans for their week three contest against the Green Bay Packers. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has reported that Evans is expected to appeal the suspension.

Here is the NFL’s press release from their decision to suspend Evans:

NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension for a violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(g) which prohibits “unnecessarily running, diving into, cutting, or throwing the body against or on a player who is out of the play or should not have reasonably anticipated such contact by an opponent, before or after the ball is dead,” as well as Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 which prohibits any act which is “contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”

In a letter to Evans, Runyan wrote: “After a play had ended, you were walking toward your sidelines. When you noticed your teammates engaged in a confrontation with Saints’ players, you ran toward that area on the field and violently threw your body into and struck an unsuspecting opponent who was part of that confrontation. You knocked your opponent to the ground and a melee ensued involving players from both teams. Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury to your opponent and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”

Evans will be eligible to return to the Bucs’ active roster on Monday, September 26, following the team’s September 25 game against Green Bay.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Evans may appeal the suspension. Any appeal will be heard and decided by either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash, the hearing officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.”