After a series of injuries ultimately forced him to miss nine games, thus ending his 11-year streak of 1,000+ receiving yards seasons, it was time for a change of scenery for Mike Evans. Claiming that he wanted “something to be excited about,” the 32-year-old veteran decided to say goodbye to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 12 years together to pursue a three-year stint in San Francisco with the 49ers.
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Evans’ decision has drawn some mixed reactions from both fans and the media, but according to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, it’s still a move that is deserving of some praise and respect. “He has changed in his level of growth and comfort in talking with the media,” Florio noted following Evans’ viral press conference from Friday afternoon during which the WR called himself the “missing piece for 49ers.”
“He’s blossomed into a guy who is great in the community for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A guy they really wanted to keep… But he really wanted to go there and he believes he’s the missing piece that’s going to make the difference for the 49ers. I don’t know that he is, but I love the confidence.”
Suggesting that the former Buccaneer could prove to be capable of “doing for the 49ers what Davante Adams did for the Rams last year,” it’s readily apparent that Florio believes that there’s still plenty of gas left in the veteran’s tank. Although, he did joke that Evans should be mindful of the electrical substation theory that has plagued the franchise for the past several months now.
“Does Mike Evans know about the impact of the EMF field on the soft tissue, including a hamstring injury that he injures everywhere?” Florio cracked. From the on-field potential for 2026 to the fact that the particulars of the contract itself have yet to be leaked to the public, it’s safe to say that Florio loves the deal for San Francisco.
“The fact that the deal remains hidden tells me that there’s no one in the Evans camp who wants to brag about that contract.” To be fair, however, the market has never been particularly high on 12-year veterans who are 32 years old and coming off of multiple injuries.
Evans now figures to be the answer to the WR1 riddle that was created for the 49ers when their former player, Brandon Aiyuk, seemingly abandoned the team during the midst of the 2025 regular season. So even though Evans has certainly had his struggles in recent times, he’ll at least be able to offer a pair of sure hands and better availability than the aforementioned Aiyuk, who only saw the field seven times in the past two years.
