The San Francisco 49ers are heading into their preseason finale on Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders with one eye on the bigger picture: staying healthy. After injuries wrecked their last couple of seasons, the team is trying to make it through this year with a little more stability.
That makes the latest update on newly signed wide receiver Mike Evans worth watching. Evans has been dealing with a quad issue, and on Tuesday he was not a full participant when practice began.
“#49ers WR Mike Evans working on the side as team begins practice Tuesday,” reported Nick Wagoner of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.
San Francisco brought Evans in during free agency this year after he spent the first decade-plus of his Hall of Fame career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had been known for his durability, though he did miss time this past season with a broken collarbone.
The 49ers need him, too. Ricky Pearsall has already been ruled out for the season, and George Kittle appears to need time to get fully back into form after the Achilles injury he suffered last year during the NFL playoffs.
If Evans is able to keep playing, he should give Brock Purdy and the offense the kind of downfield target they’ve been missing - a receiver who can climb over smaller corners and win the ball in the air.
The regular season starts for the 49ers on September 10 in Australia, where they’ll face the new-look Los Angeles Rams in a divisional matchup.
In Other News...
49ers Leave Camp With One Worry Fans Can't Ignore
The 49ers wrapped up preseason work with a practice that looked less like a final tune-up and more like a reminder of how much of camp was spent managing bodies. Twenty-three players were out because of injury, and the list included some of the names San Francisco can least afford to lose, from Nick Bosa to Mykel Williams to George Kittle. Even with a few encouraging moments scattered through camp, the biggest takeaway was hard to miss: the roster has been tested before the games even start.
Now the question is less about how much talent the 49ers have and more about how available that talent will be when the schedule turns real. An early slate that already looks difficult becomes even more demanding if the club has to lean on depth before it is fully settled, and the uncertainty around several important players only adds to that concern. San Francisco has enough proven pieces to feel good about its ceiling, but the health picture leaves a lingering worry that fans will be watching closely right away. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Shanahan Just Cast Doubt On A 49ers Rookie's Hot Start
DeZhaun Stribling has been one of the quieter preseason bright spots around the 49ers, piling up 11 catches for 109 yards over the first two games and drawing plenty of attention in camp. For a rookie trying to carve out a role, that kind of early production usually helps, especially on a roster that is always looking for cost-controlled depth and young receiving talent.
Kyle Shanahan, though, seemed eager to temper the buzz. The 49ers coach pointed to the looks Stribling has been getting and said the team had hoped to ease him in even more because of another players injury, stressing a preference for gradual growth rather than a sudden leap into a major role. For now, the question is less about whether Stribling has flashed and more about how much of that flash San Francisco believes will carry once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Could Be Waiting On A Serious Jed York Decision
The NFL is taking a closer look at Jed York after the 49ers owners recent arrest in Ohio, with Commissioner Roger Goodell saying the league is reviewing the matter under its personal conduct policy. York was arrested after an undercover operation tied to prostitution charges, and the case ended with a no contest plea to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools.
York has already served the criminal side of the issue, receiving a one-day jail sentence, a fine and completing an online course, but the leagues next move remains unsettled. For San Francisco, the uncertainty now shifts to whether the NFL will add its own discipline for an owner whose off-field trouble has suddenly become part of the teams broader picture. [Read more 🡒]