Mike Evans didn’t need long to make his presence felt in a San Francisco 49ers uniform. He just needed to cross the Pacific first.
In the 49ers’ 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, the former Texas A&M standout caught six passes for 49 yards and scored his first touchdown with San Francisco. After 12 seasons in Tampa Bay, where he piled up nearly every major Buccaneers receiving record, Evans showed he still has plenty left in the tank.
He finished tied with Deebo Samuel for the team lead in receptions with six, and his 8.2 yards per catch came with real purpose. Three of his catches moved the chains on third down, and his touchdown came on third down too.
That score was the kind of play Evans has built a career on. His 109th career touchdown reception came after Samuel opened the second half with a 45-yard kickoff return, setting up a quick San Francisco push into the red zone.
From there, Brock Purdy gave Evans a chance on the outside. Evans released cleanly, went up over the defensive back, and hauled in a 2-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 17-7.
It wasn’t flashy. It didn’t need to be. Evans found space, won the contested catch, and delivered exactly what the 49ers needed.
With the debut, Evans now sits at 872 receptions, 13,101 yards and 109 receiving touchdowns for his career. He’ll have to wait for San Francisco’s home opener to make his Levi’s Stadium debut, but he’s already got one milestone in the books: his first touchdown as a 49er, and it came in Australia.
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The timing of Clarks upcoming visit could matter, too. He is set to be in College Station for the Oct. 3 home game against Arkansas, giving Texas A&M another chance to make a strong impression in person and show why it remains a real contender as his recruitment moves forward. [Read more 🡒]