When Mike Evans signed with the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason, he put himself in a serious pickle. He'd spent the first 12 seasons of his career wearing No. 13 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but since Brock Purdy has that number, he's going to have to switch things up in 2026.
By the looks of it, it seems like we finally know what that number is: 5. A 49ers fan noticed that Fanatics had an Evans jersey for sale with No. 5, so that should be enough confirmation about his jersey status. And honestly, that's a sight that's gonna take some time for NFL fans to get used to.
Is Mike Evans wearing #5? 🤔
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) April 14, 2026
Fanatics has a Mike Evans jersey for sale on their site
h/t: @Ryan_TheMayor23 pic.twitter.com/Tv2iSTFbtM
Evans didn't just wear 13 with the Bucs, he did do during his college days at Texas A&M. He's synonymous with the number. Seeing him in it feels right, but then again, so did seeing him in Tampa Bay. As he enters a new era of his career, a new jersey number is pretty indicative of what's to come.
Mike Evans will be wearing No. 5 with the San Francisco 49ers
The six-time Pro Bowler had a major down season in 2025, but that was in large part due to injuries relegating him to just eight games. However, his streak of 11 straight seasons with over 1,000 yards by a campaign in which he failed to even clear 400 yards is a pretty major step in the wrong direction.
The 32-year-old will turn 33 in August, so its not a huge shock to see him display some signs of age, but not only could this scenery change and new jersey number unlock his old form, a new system will too, as we should all know how ready Kyle Shanahan is to have a weapon like Evans at his disposal.
Going back to jersey numbers, that same fan also noticed that Fanatics had a No. 3 jersey listed for Christian Kirk, confirming his 2026 jersey number. And ironically enough, all three of San Francisco's starting wideouts will have single-digit jersey numbers in 2026 with Ricky Pearsall wearing No. 1.
Seeing Evans in a 49ers jersey will feel weird enough, but seeing him in No. 5 after over a decade in 13 makes sense. But at least he wore the number in high school, so it's not like he's straying away from his roots that much. But it also means that he's taking DeMarcus Robinson's old jersey number.
Hopefully the six-time Pro Bowler is ready for what this next chapter of his career and new number will provide.
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