Evans is making a strong impression at voluntary OTAs and feels rejuvenated after an injury-plagued 2025, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports. "I pinch myself every day," said teammate George Kittle, who then told reporters that Evans caught "three to five" TDs in a red-zone period. Dominance in unpadded practices doesn't mean much, especially for a player who already has such a strong track record, but it's a good sign that Evans is fitting in with the 49ers and earning praise from fellow future Hall of Famers like Kittle and LT Trent Williams. The 32-year-old wideout seems to have been a full participant throughout the voluntary offseason program, acclimating quickly to Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Evans is in line to sign a three-year contract with the 49ers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Evans' agent released a statement Monday confirming that the wideout will leave Tampa Bay after 12 seasons. He showed some signs of decline in 2025 and will now turn 33 before Week 1 of 2026, but it's hard to think of a better location for Evans to regain fantasy value -- especially if fellow free agent Jauan Jennings doesn't return to San Francisco. The 49ers have a breakout candidate in Ricky Pearsall, but there's not much else of note in the WR room unless Jennings re-signs (which isn't likely at this point).
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that Evans will explore his options in free agency and may not return to the Buccaneers for the 2026 season. Evans was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has spent his entire professional career in Tampa Bay, where he posted 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards, earned six Pro Bowl selections and played a key role in the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV run in 2020. Evans was limited to just eight regular-season games in 2025 due to a hamstring injury and broken collarbone. While he turns 33 before the start of the 2026 season, Evans will garner interest from several teams looking for a significant upgrade to their wide receiver corps.