The San Francisco 49ers stunned a lot of people this offseason when they were able to pry future Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Evans away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and bring him to the Bay Area. Evans gives the Niners a veteran presence in their wide receiver room, and that's something that can't be overlooked.
Colin Cowherd loved the move, putting Evans ninth on his list of best offseason additions. That being said, he offered up a warning for the 49ers as well, and it's something fans won't want to hear:
"Number nine would be Mike Evans to the Niners. Again, why is he this low? Injuries are an issue. I do think he's a grown-up and adds stability to a receiving core that's been high maintenance between [Brandon] Aiyuk and Deebo [Samuel]. You know, you got [George] Kittle coming off an injury, Christian McCaffrey, another massive workload. I like Mike Evans a lot. He's a Hall of Fame player but again... There is an injury reality that we have to, you know, wrap our brains around."
10. Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 2, 2026
9. Mike Evans to the 49ers
8-1. 👀@colincowherd ranks the top 10 NFL offseason additions pic.twitter.com/sztZ0tx2Y8
Colin Cowherd likes 49ers' Mike Evans signing but worries about injuries
It's not a take that's off base by any means. Evans, when healthy, can ball out with the best of them, but he's coming off the worst season of his career and injuries are to blame for that. The long-time Buccaneer played in just eight games and finished the season, which ended up being his last in Tampa, with 30 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns.
The good news, however, is that last year marked the first time ever in Evans' lengthy career that he didn't pass the 1,000-yard receiving mark. He'd had 11 straight seasons of doing so, and that's the kind of player the Niners are banking on getting in 2026.
If Evans pans out, this move will go down as absolute genius for John Lynch and Co.. If it doesn't, the 49ers at least took a big swing and added a player they thought could get them over the hump.
Time will tell as to which narrative we take.
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