Niners wide receiver Mike Evans walks to the locker room after he was injured in the second quarter against the Washington Commanders on Monday. Evans had three catches for 94 yards before departing for the game.
Niners wide receiver Mike Evans walks to the locker room after he was injured in the second quarter against the Washington Commanders on Monday. Evans had three catches for 94 yards before departing for the game.
After playing through a rib injury for much of the season’s first six weeks — and Achilles soreness for the first half of Monday’s win over the Washington Commanders — the 33-year-old wide receiver was ruled out for Sunday’s bout against the Atlanta Falcons due to an Achilles injury.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday night that Evans, who has 27 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns in 2026, has Achilles tendinitis. Shanahan called it a flare-up after the game and said he does not expect it to be a “long-term thing.”
Evans did not practice this week. It’s unclear whether his absence will extend beyond the 49ers’ upcoming bye week.
A report from Ian Rapoport earlier this week indicated Evans will have to manage this injury “for the better part of the season.” Asked about the report, Shanahan said he did not know whether that was the case.
“We had to manage it last week and we’re managing it this week,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “So we’ll see how the rest of the year goes.”
“You don’t know if you have to manage him the whole year?” a reporter followed up.
“No.”
Bosa’s odd case: Defensive end Nick Bosa (calf) was also ruled out for Sunday, which is no surprise considering he did not practice this week. Slightly more surprising, though, was Shanahan’s choice of words on Friday.
Two weeks ago, Bosa expressed optimism regarding his chances of returning before the bye week. If it wasn’t against the Commanders, he said, it would almost certainly come against Atlanta in Week 7.
When Bosa was ruled out for the Washington game, Shanahan said the 49ers would have been surprised if the All-Pro edge rusher could play. But he thought there was a chance, and he was “pleasantly surprised” that he was that optimistic. “Another week will help,” Shanahan said at the time, suggesting a possible return for Week 7.
On Friday, Shanahan shifted his tone.
“I just think he was a little too optimistic, especially for Bosa because he’s pretty accurate,” Shanahan said when asked whether he is being held out Sunday out to an abundance of caution. “He doesn’t say stuff like that unless it’s accurate.
“He worked out after he said that to you guys (Oct. 9), and the next day he was just a little sore, which surprised all of us. That wasn’t a great sign, especially going to play on turf and stuff this week, so I think it was more he was just a little too optimistic.”
Bosa has not been spotted at practice since suffering his calf injury in late September. Sunday will mark his fifth straight absence.
Briefly: The 49ers released defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo on Friday for the second time in three weeks, likely to clear a roster spot for wide receiver Christian Kirk (calf), who is questionable for Sunday and logged three full practices. … Wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring), safety Marques Sigle (ankle), linebacker Garret Wallow (hamstring) and linebacker Luke Gifford (groin) were also ruled out for Sunday. … Nickel cornerback Upton Stout (shoulder) and safety Siran Neal (knee), in addition to Kirk, are questionable. … Defensive end Mykel Williams (knee) has no injury designation.
Oct 23, 2026
Who they are
Harrison Rich is the San Francisco Chronicle football trending reporter. Previously, he was a sports intern at the Chronicle. He recently graduated from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, where he was a sports editor at the Diamondback, the student newspaper, and a men’s basketball beat writer. He’s written for the Washington Post’s high school sports desk, Sports Business Journal and 247Sports, among other outlets. Rich is a native of Long Island, New York, and is excited to spend some time on the West Coast.
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The start of morning recess at Daniel Webster Elementary in January 2006. The school was struggling and shunned by the white and higher-income families living on Potrero Hill. But a group of parents helped change that.