NFL suspends Bucs' WR Evans for roughness
TAMPA (AP) - The NFL suspended Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans for one game Monday for unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness in the Buccaneers' loss at New Orleans.
Evans ran up from behind and knocked over Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore after a confrontation between Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston, who was on the sideline because of a sore shoulder, and Lattimore.
"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 from the Saints' 30-10 victory. He will miss the Bucs' home game against the Jets on Sunday and can return to the active roster next Monday. But he can appeal the suspension within three days.