SANTA CLARA — Even now, nearly four months after Mike Evans left the comfortable life and Hall of Fame-worthy career he built in Tampa Bay to help pull the 49ers back to Super Bowl contention, his new Bay Area teammates do a bit of a double-take, realizing he’s on their team.
“Every single day I see Mike, I just go, ‘Wow, Mike Evans is here,’” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “I think I’m annoying him at this point, but I pinch myself every day.”
Or, as veteran tackle Trent Williams put it: “It’s hard not to fan girl over a guy like that.”
That is high praise coming from a couple of players who will likely don gold Hall of Fame jackets themselves one day.
But it’s more than worthy considering the 12 years of credentials the 32-year-old Evans brings to the 49ers and the difference he can make on an offense that needs a reliable, productive wide receiver.
And not just any type of receiver.
For years, the 49ers’ most productive pass-game targets were hybrid-type players including Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Big-time weapons, no doubt, especially with offensive mastermind Kyle Shanahan scheming up ways to get them the ball.
But neither was the type of traditionally built, skilled wide receiver that offenses typically build their pass game around.
Evans is the epitome of a classic wide receiver, and then some, as an imposing-framed, 6-foot-5, 220-pound receiver who offers quarterbacks a big, inviting target at all levels of the field.
That was particularly evident when Evans crushed the 49ers’ defense by coming up with multiple touchdown catches in a dominant red-zone period during OTA practice this week.
It was vintage Evans, albeit just a sneak peek of what’s to come.
“Incredible,” marveled Kittle.
Evans’ ability to be a difference-maker in that part of the field, where his size, strength and catching skills give him a huge advantage over defensive backs, will be a welcome addition to the 49ers.
“You’ve got to win in tight situations down there in the red zone,” Evans said. “And I have the leaping ability, I have the awareness, and a lot of reps at doing it. And I love getting in that red area and adding a different dynamic to this team.”
But that goes for every other part of the field. Evans ranks 10th in NFL history with 108 touchdown receptions and has 866 catches for 13,052 yards.
Among his other accomplishments: He is the only player to begin his career with 11 straight seasons of more than 1,000 yards receiving. Only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice ever produced that many consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards.
Evans’ streak ended last year when hamstring and shoulder injuries limited him to nine games.
As disappointed as he was about the streak ending, Evans believes the condensed season will benefit him moving forward.
“I look at that injury as a blessing in disguise,” he said. “I’m feeling really fresh, I’m feeling rejuvenated and I’m in a new spot. A change I felt I needed.”
As for the transition from the Buccaneers to the 49ers, Evans is already fitting in.
“It’s been smooth,” Evans said. “I was in Tampa for a really long time, but I mean, it’s football at the end of the day. The guys on this team, the staff, they’ve made me feel welcome. But I came here for a reason. So, this transition has been smooth.”
The 49ers are already envisioning ways to get him involved.
“He’s a 1-on-1 matchup that you can take advantage of when he’s on the field, and if he’s got 1-on-1 coverage, you want to get the ball to Mike. You feel like he’s going to win,” 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “He’s about as competitive as they come. He’s a guy who’s going to win his matchups, and it’s just really cool to have that alpha type of player out on the field at that position for us again. We’re going to use him the way he’s been used his whole career and hopefully get a few more things out of him, too, along the way as we get him in our program.”
It’s why Kittle, Williams, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and everyone else in the 49ers’ building is already envisioning the impact Evans will make on the offense.
“If you look back at the 49ers, this is like the first legit veteran wide receiver I’ve had on my roster since Emmanuel Sanders in 2019,” said Kittle, who played a pivotal role in the recruitment of Evans last March. “And like nothing against all the other veteran receivers I’ve had, but he’s a Hall of Famer who’s a first-team All-Pro, Pro Bowl guy. He’s an incredible wide receiver.”
“And like, just to see him run routes and the way that he sees things, it’s just so fun. Emmanuel Sanders was super savvy, did some cool things to get open and stuff like that. But like, Mike Evans just brings a whole new thing.”
Even Shanahan, who’s been around some great wide receivers as a coach, had to go back in his memory bank to find a comparable comp for Evans that he’s worked with. The two names he came up with were Andre Johnson and Julio Jones, whom he coached in Houston and Atlanta, respectively.
“I haven’t had many guys like that, just with the career he’s had so far,” Shanahan said. “And just what’s unique about Mike is his get-off, how he can attack down the field, and I’ve never been around a guy that is that tall with that long of arms, the competitor he is. So, I’m excited to have the person in our offense and the talent.”
