There are a lot of ramifications after the San Francisco 49ers signed veteran wide receiver Mike Evans to a surprisingly affordable three-year contract.
Probably the biggest beneficiary is quarterback Brock Purdy who could be a sleeper MVP pick for the upcoming season, thanks to the Evans signing, and the Niners' Super Bowl odds are better as well.
Evans talked about how impressed he has been by Purdy from afar in his first comments to the media after signing with San Francisco. He talked about how Purdy made his first career start against Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2022 and completely torched them.
The future Hall of Fame receiver also said this about Purdy:
"He's already a really good player. I just hope I can help him get to where he wants to go in his career and that’s be a Super Bowl champion, potential MVP and just have a great career here in San Francisco."
Purdy has already been an MVP candidate as both he and running back Christian McCaffrey were in the running for the award back in 2023 during the season that resulted in a Super Bowl loss. Purdy struggled in 2024 and was too banged up in 2025 to be considered for the award in either of those seasons, but maybe he could make a run at it next season.
The Niners also made it further than anyone could have dreamed last season, given all of the injuries. Maybe if they get luckier with health, Evans could be that missing piece that finally gets them over the hump in the Super Bowl.
Just think of the weapons Purdy will have at his disposal next season. Tight end George Kittle and McCaffrey will both be back, although it is unclear when Kittle will be able to return from his injury, and there's always a fear McCaffrey will miss time.
Adding Evans into that mix will make things so hard for opposing defenses. Imagine if all three of those threats are healthy and opponents have to cover three incredible threats in the red zone. They can't double-team them all, so there is going to be a mismatch, and Purdy is able to process quickly enough and get through his progressions that he should be able to find the open guy more times than not. So it wouldn't be a shock if he threw for 30-something touchdowns.
Of course, there are some X-factors to consider. San Francisco needs to figure things out with left tackle Trent Williams. It is hard to see Purdy having an MVP-level season, or the Niners making a deep playoff run, without Williams protecting him. So that is a must.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall's health is also a huge factor. He has the talent to be a huge threat in San Francisco's offense, but he just has not been able to stay on the field consistently enough.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams won MVP last season after L.A. added veteran Davante Adams, so maybe the 49ers adding Evans could lead to a similar result for Purdy with a Lombardi Trophy to boot.