The first wave of free agency has just about come to a close. It definitely has regarding the free agent wide receivers.
All of the top names are gone, with the San Francisco 49ers landing the best receiver available in Mike Evans. It would've been rough had they swung and missed on him.
The current receivers that are available aren't attractive at all, especially compared to Evans. In fact, with all of the top receivers signed, it makes more sense that the 49ers went after Evans over others.
49ers were wise for signing Mike Evans
Mike Evan
Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) reacts after catching a pass against Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) (obscured) during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The contract that the 49ers signed Evans is a steal, but when you compare it to what other top free agent receivers got elsewhere, it only emphasizes that further.
Evans only took $16.3 million guaranteed. His entire contract valuation, minus the incentives, is $42.4 million. That's a pretty easy deal for the 49ers to dish out to a player of Evans' caliber.
And while there is the concern of his age and questionable durability going forward after an injury-plagued season, the money invested in him isn't that significant.
It will come off the books after 2026 anyway if they need it to. Signing Evans gives the 49ers all of the leverage. Had they gone after someone like Romeo Doubs, it would've been a fairly heavy investment.
Top free agent receivers were expensive
The New England Patriots gave him a four-year, $80 million deal. Doubs is an underrated receiver, and he's only 25 years old. However, that's a little too much for the 49ers to stomach.
So is the deal that Wan'Dale Robinson signed with the Tennessee Titans. He landed a four-year, $70 million deal with $38 million guaranteed.
But none of these deals compares to the one that Alec Pierce re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He got a four-year deal for a whopping $114 million with $84 million guaranteed.
Pierce would've been awesome with the 49ers, but not $84 million guaranteed awesome. That's an insane amount of money for a player coming off his first 1,000-yard receiving season.
All of these deals make the 49ers look wise for signing Evans. He can do everything that all of those receivers that landed expensive deals can do, minus the blazing speed.
Good money was spent on Evans
With Evans, he can stretch the field and vastly improve the red zone efficiency. The 49ers can be a threat in the passing game against the Seattle Seahawks with him now.
This deal for Evans is becoming increasingly difficult to criticize. Yes, he's going to be 33 years old, and his body could be starting to break down. Those are the concerns I have and still do.
However, the 49ers didn't drop significant money on Evans. He band-aids the position for 2026 and maybe 2027, while they look for options in the draft.
That is where they will find their real dominant option in the future, anyway, not in free agency. The 49ers played this right, especially if 2025 was a blip for Evans with the injuries.
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