March 20, 2026, 5:45 p.m. PT
Mike Evans joining the San Francisco 49ers could be one of the biggest moves of the 2026 free agency period. He’s a veteran playmaker with a great skill set as both a red zone threat and contested catch king.
While some have questioned the move because of Evans’ age and injury history, NBC Sports’ Chris Simms loves the move because of how Brock Purdy and Evans can connect all over the field.
“He’s still scary. He can still run by you for big plays,” Simms said. “Brock Purdy’s throwing something over the middle, and you’re going to see Mike Evans going up and getting it. That’s where it’s a match made in heaven, because Brock Purdy throws beautiful footballs in that area of the field, and Evans will thrive there.”
The 49ers haven’t had a big-bodied receiver in a long time, and Evans can fill the void while tight end George Kittle recovers from his torn Achilles. He is also clearly the team’s top pass-catcher past the line of scrimmage after Kendrick Bourne left in free agency and Jauan Jennings is expected to follow him. While there is still no word on what the team plans to do with Branon Aiyuk, the prevailing theory is he will also no longer be part of the team’s future.
There are obvious concerns with Evans in 2026, but he is a great fit for this offense, as Simms explained.
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