Mike Evans says he’ll be the difference in 49ers’ pursuit of a Super Bowl: ‘I’m that piece’
After 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wideout Mike Evans decided a change was necessary. Given his history with the franchise, leaving the Buccaneers was likely a tough decision, one in which Evans needed to be confident he was improving his situation.
Turns out, that’s exactly why Evans decided to join the San Francisco 49ers. The 32-year-old wideout explained Thursday that he felt the 49ers have been one missing piece away from a Super Bowl championship and he believes he’s “that piece.”
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Evans made those comments during his introductory press conference with the 49ers on Thursday.
The veteran wideout might be correct in that assessment. The 49ers turned in yet another strong regular season, but fell short in the playoffs.
Receiver turned out to be a significant issue for the team throughout the year, as Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and George Kittle all missed games due to injury. Brandon Aiyuk was expected back from an ACL issue at some point, but his relationship with the team deteriorated to the point where he didn’t play a single down with the 49ers in 2025. If the team had a more consistent pass catcher last year, it’s possible the 49ers could have been a much bigger threat in the playoffs.
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For most of his career, Evans has been the epitome of consistency. Over his first 11 NFL seasons, Evans exceeded 1,000 receiving yards every single time, an NFL record. He barely got there in 2024, gaining just 1,004 yards in 14 games.
But that streak came to a screeching halt in 2025. Evans battled a hamstring injury and then broke his collarbone in his first game back. While Evans was able to return and play in games toward the end of the regular season, he finished with a career-low 368 receiving yards.
While Evans should have plenty of opportunities to get back to his former numbers, he’ll need to prove he can still be productive after two years marred by injury. When he’s at his best, Evans is an elite deep target and a monster in the red zone, where he can use his size and leaping ability to box out smaller defenders.
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Prior to 2025, Evans was an extremely durable talent. Evans played in at least 13 games per season during his first 11 years in the NFL. Even in his injury-marred 2024 season, Evans still managed to play 14 games.
A return to health should lead to improved numbers for Evans with his new team. But both his age and workload are a bit of a concern moving forward, and the 49ers will need to be smart about Evans’ usage early on if they want him close to full health when the playoffs — and a possible Super Bowl appearance — are on the line.
