I'm not one to tell a fan exactly what they need to do, but in this instance, I'm breaking my rule.
Folks, we need to calm down here. Yes, Mike Evans has now dealt with multiple injuries throughout San Francisco 49ers training camp after recently leaving a joint practice with a foot issue and having worked through a quad injury as well.
But, this isn't anything new for Evans. All you have to do is ask a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, and they'll tell you to take a step back and just breathe.
Each season when Week 1 rolls around, many Bucs fans had similar thoughts of it being a matter of "when" and not "if" Evans gets banged up.
But here's the thing. Evans has still played and performed. It's that simple.
Mike Evans' injuries have long been part of who he is, and that's OK
For the last handful of seasons, Evans has dealt with injuries both big and small. It's been almost like clockwork. In fact, if you want to get further into specifics, Evans hasn't been technically "injury-free" for eight straight seasons.
Read that again.
For the past eight seasons, Evans has endured an injury that's been enough to land him on some kind of injury report. But, in seven of those eight seasons, Evans has also been able to suit up for at least 14 regular-season games.
Not only that, but Evans has also remained one of the best wide receivers in football.
Do we forget that this is the man who tied Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career with 11 of them? Up until just last year, Evans had reached that milestone each and every season of his career, all while dealing with countless ailments.
So, bringing it back to Evans' current status of having a foot injury and quad issue to work through, 49ers fans truly shouldn't be panicking.
We have seen fans reacting several different ways to the latest news. But, reading fans post things like Evans being "cooked" or the "vibes being terrible" is just downright silly.
Counting Evans out and calling him cooked would be extremely premature at this stage in the game. Yes, last season was the first we've seen him finish with less than 1,000 yards. Maybe, the injuries did finally catch up to him.
But, we aren't far enough into this thing to overreact yet. The judgements have come in way too soon.
If we get three quarters of the way through the season and Evans' injuries have continued to be an issue, forcing him to miss several games, then we can react however we please. Maybe this is the end, but maybe it isn't.
The point is, Evans has "been there and done that" when it comes to this whole injury game. He's been through plenty. He knows how to manage his body, rehab and even play through pain. He's done it for years and still been an elite player.
It's understandable that Niners fans are worried. This is his first stint with San Francisco. But, for right now, let's take a step back and let it all play out.
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