There will be a new No. 5 in San Francisco during the 2026 NFL season.
Newly acquired 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans confirmed with star linebacker Fred Warner that he is planning to wear the number with San Francisco after 12 years of donning No. 13 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I’m going to be No. 5,” Evans said on the “Real Ones: The League” show. “That’s my high school football number, my Little League number, and my middle school number.”
“That’s clean, boy,” Warner reacted. “Old Mike Evans in the cinco.”
Evans will wear No. 5 for the first time since playing at Ball High School in Galveston, Texas. Since then, he has worn No. 13 in college with Ohio State University and in the NFL with the Buccaneers.
Evans’ choice likely will mean that fellow 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson will have to change his number after wearing No. 5 last season.
The 49ers signed Evans to a three-year, $42.4 million contract this offseason, adding much-needed firepower to San Francisco’s wide receiver corps.
In each of the first 11 seasons of his NFL career, Evans recorded 1,000 or more receiving yards – a streak that was broken last year as the six-time Pro Bowl selection dealt with various injuries.
The 49ers will begin their offseason program on April 20, and Evans also confirmed to Warner that he will be joining the team during this phase of San Francisco’s workout schedule.
With his high level of professionalism and leadership, Evans seamlessly should plug in with a 49ers team that is looking to continue pursuing a Super Bowl title.
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