The San Francisco 49ers are looking to open the 2026 season on a strong note, but veteran wide receiver Mike Evans’ injury troubles continue to raise concerns.
With the regular season quickly approaching, former 49ers star and three-time Pro Bowler Donte Whitner weighed in on the situation following the news of Evans’ injury.
Donte Whitner Reveals What Really Worries Him About 49ers Star Mike Evans’ Injury
Evans did not practice on Tuesday due to injury, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. The absence comes after Evans exited practice early twice over the previous week.
The veteran wide receiver has already dealt with several injury issues during training camp and has yet to appear in a preseason game for the Niners since joining this offseason.
These injury setbacks have raised more concerns about Evans’ readiness for the upcoming season, with Whitner keeping a close eye on the situation.
“At first, when I looked at Mike Evans missing practice, I thought, ‘It’s August. Veteran maintenance, no big deal.’ But now that we know he’s dealing with a quad injury, that changes the conversation for me because one missed practice is maintenance,” Whitner said on the “Grit Code Podcast” on Tuesday.
“Multiple missed practices with an actual injury, now I’m paying attention.
“Mike Evans is a veteran. He doesn’t need every training camp rep to understand how to play receiver, but he does need those legs. Your quad affects explosion. Your ability to get in and out of breaks and your ability to accelerate downfield. And here’s what concerns me: soft tissue injuries have a way of lingering. You feel good, you come back, you open up at full speed, and there it is again.”
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Mike Evans missing one practice? Veteran maintenance.
Multiple missed practices with a quad injury? Now I’m watching. 👀
Soft-tissue injuries linger. The question is whether his body lets him go.
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— Grit Code Podcast (@thegritcode) August 24, 2026
Injuries have increasingly affected Evans over the last few seasons. He missed three games in 2024 because of hamstring problems and appeared in only eight games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year after injuries derailed his campaign. He ended up recording 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated the wide receiver should be back in practice next week before leaving for Australia. However, Whitner is bothered about Evans returning to his early dominant form.
“I’m not panicking over Mike Evans, but I’m definitely watching him because the question isn’t whether Mike Evans knows how to get ready for Week 1,” Whitner said. “The question is whether his body is going to let him get ready, because other times he is undefeated, and he will sneak up on you.”
Whitner isn’t wrong about Evans’ caliber, as the wide receiver recorded his 11th-consecutive 1,000-yard season in the league in 2024. He finished that season with an 80.7 PFN WR Impact grade, ranking No. 15 in the league.
