Mike Evans’ first season with the San Francisco 49ers has already included a reminder of just how much the veteran wide receiver is willing to endure to stay on the field.
Evans played through a significant rib injury in Sunday’s 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos
, catching five passes for 76 yards. That brought his season totals to 17 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 24 targets through four games.There was concern Evans would need to miss the game with the injury, but according to 49ers general manager John Lynch, Evans never seriously considered sitting out. Speaking on KNBR, Lynch recalled telling Evans that the team expected to have him available for the following week against Seattle.
“I said, ‘Hey, Mike, like, you know, hey,
good news. We’ll have you for [Week 5 in] Seattle.’ He said, ‘No, I’m playing this week,'" Lynch recalled. “Mike Evans is on that … holy grail. He had a significant rib situation and he wasn’t going to miss. And he told me that from Day 1.”
The 33-year-old receiver ultimately delivered an important performance despite the pain. His 76 receiving yards against Denver represented more than one-third of his season total entering the game, and his 17 catches currently rank second on the 49ers behind only George Kittle.
Lynch said Evans’ toughness was more than an admirable personal trait. He believes it directly contributed to San Francisco remaining undefeated.
“I also don’t think we win that game without Mike Evans and his contribution," Lynch added. “His toughness meter is special.”
Evans has endured bumps and bruises along the way every game this season, but it at least sounds like he's getting slightly healthier for the big NFC West showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Mike Evans injury: 49ers GM praises ‘toughness meter’ for veteran WR
