San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans has been dealing with some injuries throughout the preseason, and it begs the question: Will he suit up and play in Week 1?
What Happened to the 49ers’ Mike Evans?
Evans, 33, signed a 3-year, $42.4 million deal with the 49ers this offseason after posting a 69.9 PFN WR Impact score (63rd out of 78 possible receivers) last season.
During training camp and the preseason, the veteran receiver has been dealing with niggling groin and quad injuries.
According to 49ers reporter Cam Inman, Evans left practice early as a precautionary measure. Then, two days later, on August 25, ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reported that Evans didn’t practice but should be back the following week before the team leaves for Australia. Wagoner cited Evans being out due to a groin injury.
As a reminder, the 49ers open the season in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Now, though, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Evans plans to play in Week 1 and that his groin issue “is considered minor barring a change.”
Last season, Evans dealt with some injuries that derailed his final season with the team that he called home for 12 seasons and that drafted him, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He dealt with hamstring injuries as well as a clavicle fracture.
He played just eight games, catching 30 passes on 62 targets for 368 yards and three touchdowns. This ended his streak of 11 straight seasons with 1,000 yards or more.
In 2024, Evans missed three games due to a hamstring injury.
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Of course, being 33 years old and dealing with soft-tissue injuries at least once per season since the start of the decade could certainly be a cause for concern.
The Niners do have reinforcements in the event Evans is unable to go, including Deebo Samuel and rookie wideout De’Zhaun Stribling, who’s expected to have a major role in Week 1 against the Rams.
In addition to Evans, the 49ers have several other players on the injury report, including Nick Bosa, Jacob Cowing, Kyle Juszczyk, Christian Kirk, Ricky Pearsall (out for the season), and more.
As for Bosa, the other headline injury, he’s dealing with tendinitis and should be back at practice next week, along with Evans.
So, if you’re a fan of the 49ers or have Evans on your fantasy football team, he appears in line to go in Week 1, but I’d still caution you about what his actual performance might be like.
After all, he’ll be going against a Rams defense that added Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie as their 1-2 punch at cornerback this offseason.
