Last offseason, the San Francisco 49ers’ objective was to get younger. When you draft fifth-year seniors, they kinda are who they are. The team heads into this offseason with questions at wide receiver and zero veterans set to return. Pending free agents Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne are likely headed elsewhere, while Brandon Aiyuk’s return would surprise everybody.
Do the Niners need a reliable veteran? Probably. Could they get by without one? More than likely. Finding a good player should be
the goal. There are plenty available, but they all come with asterisks and caveats.
According to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans could be an option for the 49ers during free agency:
While the Buccaneers remain a possibility, the 49ers, Patriots, and Chargers also stand out as fits. He will be selective about his approach to the process and is weighing certain criteria very heavily as he negotiates what could be his final NFL contract.
Evans dealt with fluke injuries last season, which precluded him from posting a ridiculous 12th straight 1000-yard season with Tampa, and there remains mutual interest between him and the club.
But he is interested in exploring several reasonable options according to some close to him, believes he has more 1,000-yard seasons in him and is looking to be more than an ancillary cog in any offense he goes to.
Those sources are adamant that Evans is closely studying the offenses, both quarterback, scheme, and acumen of the offensive coordinator/play caller, and prioritizing those matters, along with the opportunity to win another Super Bowl, of course.
There are not too many teams that meet those qualifications in the NFL, but besides Tampa, which feels like far from a lock, the 49ers, Patriots and Chargers standout (the Eagles would as well, were they to trade veteran receiver AJ Brown as many anticipate).
It was clear to executives from several teams that watched Evans last season that Tampa’s offense suffered from a deficient play caller and quarterback Baker Mayfield was hobbled much of the season, too, limiting the scope of the passing game.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the game’s elite offensive minds and the team will head into the offseason parting with Brandon Aiyuk and already moved on from longtime stalwart pass catcher Deebo Samuel the season prior.
“He’s still a dog,” one personnel executive said from a team that would have interest in Evans but lacks a caliber of quarterback to likely fit his needs.
“He can still help you win football games. He’s a winning football player.”
Evans would give the 49ers that coveted isolated wide receiver who can win 1-on-1 down the field. During the final month of the season, Evans had the fifth-most receiver yards outside of the numbers and led the NFL in first down receptions in that same category, while finishing second in touchdowns.
Not that it would take much convincing, but Raheem Morris has faced Evans time and time again, and he knows firsthand how dangerous Evans can be. Evans had 132 yards on six receptions in Week 15 against the Falcons.
The majority of Evans targets came outside of the numbers last season, and that’s not where Shanahan likes to live. It’s odd to say a future gold jacket wearer isn’t a fit, but the area where Evans is used isn’t necessarily one the 49ers like to target for their wideouts. That takes place between the hashes, and Evans had only four targets there in 2025.
The reason the 49ers should stay away is the injury history. The probability of Evans missing time in 2026 is all but guaranteed. He missed five games in 2025 with a Grade 1 fracture of his clavicle. He missed another three games earlier in the season with a Grade 1 hamstring pull. That hamstring cost him three games in 2024 and has seemingly lingered for multiple seasons.
Evans played 17 games back in 2023 but has a history of being banged up, and at 33, especially after a season in which he missed half the games, you have to wonder if the price tag is worth the risk.
This will likely be the final time Evans can truly cash out in the NFL on the open market. His valuation on Spotrac comes in at $13.3 million annually, with a deal of two years for around $26.6 million.
It’s a contract the 49ers could afford and dress up with incentives, but we are talking about a team that does not get the benefit of the doubt from the injury bug.
