The San Francisco 49ers have a new receiver in Mike Evans. And the veteran got good money to head west. But there’s more. Evans claims he’s the 49ers’ missing piece for success, according to a post on X by Ian Rapoport.
“New #49ers WR Mike Evans, in his introductory press conference: “I feel like they were one piece away, and I'm that piece.”
Evans can certainly back up his boasting. He reached the 1,000-yard mark in receiving for 11 straight years before injuries limited him to 368 in 2025. He also tied a career low with only three touchdowns. But he has 108 in his career, including six double-digit seasons.
Also, he’s a six-time Pro Bowl player.
Will he be the Mike Evans of old with 49ers?
That’s the biggest question. He can say he’s the missing piece. But the truth is his body, which will turn 33 years old in August, may not cooperate. Like it didn’t in 2025.
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And the 49ers have a terrible history with injuries. But they seem hopeful that things will be different with Evans, at least a little bit, according to 49erswebzone.com.
“I’m excited to see what Evans brings to the 49ers' offense,” Marc Adams wrote. “But I'll admit, I would be more excited if this were five years ago. Evens is a beast, but he's getting older, and aging players don't get faster and healthier.
“Last season was an injury-plagued one for Evans. But he's been relatively healthy and very consistent throughout his career. I'm going to take the optimistic route and believe he will be healthy this season.”
One genuinely excited person is Jerry Rice, according to nbcsportsbayarea.com.
“This is gonna be exciting,” Rice said. “32? Come on, man, I mean, at 32, I just felt like I was a rookie. This guy still got a lot of fire and what he brings to that locker room too. To see this guy work every day, his preparation, these younger guys are going to be able to witness that.”