Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers
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(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
On March 9, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, citing sources, that the San Francisco 49ers reached an agreement with veteran wide receiver Mike Evans on a three-year deal valued at up to $60.4 million.
Evans spent 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving as the team’s all-time leading scorer with 662 points.
The wide receiver also posted 11 straight seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, matching Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history.
Moreover, the question is whether Evans still has something left in the tank for the 49ers. Nonetheless, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes believes he does and has high expectations for this union between the Niners and the 32-year-old in 2026.
“This was truly the best option for [the 49ers], especially given their timeline and how competitive they should be. Some of [Evans’] metrics last year are very concerning,”Kimes said in a video posted on March 13 from her X account. “The ESPN receiver numbers do not like his openness and all that, but hewas injured for so much of the season.
“I’m willing to believe that he can, if not return to form, at least give the Niners a level of production — red‑zone and outside the numbers — that’ll make this worth their time… It feels a little bit like Derrick Henry joining the Ravens.”
Mike Evans to the Niners Feels Like a Perfect Fit
Kimes went into further detail, believing that Evans’ joining the 49ers will play out well, even though advanced data might suggest the veteran wideout is on the downside of his career.
“Everything in football history tells you to bet against a player in their 30s at that position,” Kimes added. “But then they join the right situation, you know how good this player is and how smart they are. You just think about how the coach is going to use him, and it just makes a lot of sense.”
It was an injury-plagued 2025 season for Evans, who recorded 30 catches for 368 yards and scored three touchdowns in eight games in 2025,per StatMuse. The question heading into the 2026 season will be whether Evans can be that No. 1 wideout that the Niners were missing last campaign.
Mike Evans Talks Joining the 49ers
On March 12, Evans spoke with the media and noted that, as he was doing his research, once it was clear that returning to the Buccaneers wasn’t in the cards, the 49ers made the most sense for him.
“They always compete,” Evans said about the Niners (h/tVic Tafur of The Athletic). “Even with the injuries last year. … I feel like they were one piece away, and I think that I’m that piece… Football-wise, this was the best spot for me for sure.
“I’ve always appreciated how the Niners went about their business … and I’ve always loved the way Kyle (Shanahan) calls the games… I was looking at contenders, with good quarterbacks, obviously. (Shanahan) just talked about how he sees me in this offense, and it just made me even happier. It was a no-brainer, really.”