Last season was the first season Mike Evans didn’t have 100 targets since he entered the NFL in 2014. To give you an idea of the type of wide receiver the San Francisco 49ers are getting, ‘25 was also the first time Evans fell below 50 percent in contested situations since 2017.
Last season was the first time Evans played single-digit games. After just turning 33 in August and dealing with a couple of different injuries in training camp and the preseason, Kyle Shanahan said Evans is unlikely to practice every day of the week during the regular season.
Will they manage his usage during the games? ESPN’s Ben Solak named Evans the X-Factor this season, and believes that might be the case:
I loved the Evans signing. Getting Kyle Shanahan the type of receiver he had lacked since becoming the head coach of the 49ers -- a big, long, downfield ball-winner, short-yardage specialist and red zone mismatch -- opened new and exciting possibilities in the offense. Evans is also much better on the classic 49ers routes than he’s given credit for. Among all receivers over the past two seasons, Evans is third in yards per route run (6.1) on deep, in-breaking routes. His 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame is hard to miss in the middle of the field.
But Evans is 33 years old, so managing his snaps is important. Once Ricky Pearsall was ruled out for the season because of a right UCL tear, I was worried Evans would take too many snaps this season, especially coming off a hamstring injury in 2025. And then Evans started to miss time in camp: a quad strain in late July, then some talk about groin issues. Worrisome drumbeats for an older receiver in August.
I still really like the blend of skills in a 49ers receivers room featuring Evans, rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, and veterans Deebo Samuel Sr. and Demarcus Robinson. But if Evans cannot stay on the field or is absent of twitch when he’s on it, there’s not enough downfield playmaking in the group (unless Stribling is the Offensive Rookie of the Year). The floor for any Shanahan-led offense is very high, but the ceiling this year is set by Evans.
The stat about Evans on in-breaking routes is incredible. Shanahan’s bread and butter has been high-low concepts that put second-level defenders in conflict, which helps part the middle of the defense like the Red Sea.
We’ll likely find out the hard way whether Evans needs to be managed throughout the season. If he’s continually listed on the injury report, gets nicked up during games, or needs to miss a series or two, that could very well be the case.
But there’s also a lot of history suggesting Evans can play through injuries. The 49ers are treating him with kid gloves, and for good reason. Evans is good enough to propel the offense into a tier that makes them Super Bowl contenders. The prudent move is to ensure you have him available for all 17 games.