Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans hit with suspension

Not long after announcing that quarterback Jameis Winston was being shut down for at least two weeks because of an injured throwing shoulder, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers learned top wide receiver Mike Evans was suspended one game by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness during Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Evans ran up and hit Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore from behind after Lattimore and Winston, who was on the sideline because of the shoulder injury, exchanged words during a brief confrontation.

Evans, who leads the Bucs with 40 receptions for 532 yards and four touchdowns, will miss Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets. He can appeal the suspension.

“During the third quarter, after a play had ended, you struck an unsuspecting opponent in the back, knocking him to the ground,” Jon Runyan, the league’s vice president of football operations, wrote to Evans. “Your conduct clearly did not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”

Evans was penalized but not ejected for the hit during the Bucs’ 30-10 loss, their fifth straight setback.

This story was originally published November 6, 2017 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans hit with suspension."