The San Francisco 49ers are 6-0 entering Sunday’s Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
They’re coming off a 23-17 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday night, a game in which veteran wide receiver Mike Evans exited in the second quarter after reaggravating an Achilles injury that had been bothering him leading up to the game.
Evans’ status remains uncertain for Sunday, but former NFL head coach and current Barstool Sports personality Jon Gruden revealed what he’s hearing about the wide receiver’s availability.
Gruden Makes Concerning Evans Claim
During his weekly Gruden Family Football Show with his brother Jay, the two break down the week’s games and make their picks.
While discussing the 49ers-Falcons matchup, Gruden said he had heard Evans would not play against Atlanta on Sunday.
“Mike Evans won’t play, I’m told,” Gruden said. “That limits the 49ers… I have been preaching the Falcons the last few weeks and they have really let me down. So I’m taking the 49ers.”
WEEK 7 IS LIVE NOW!!
Watch it here: https://t.co/gEM3sZbtJl https://t.co/rdDxfXEh9D
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) October 22, 2026
Evans Hasn’t Been Ruled Out
Despite Gruden’s claim about Evans’ status, the 49ers star wide receiver has not been ruled out for Sunday. He hasn’t practiced Wednesday or Thursday, which isn’t an encouraging sign for his availability. However, Evans also barely practiced, if at all, last week and still played against the Commanders.
49ers general manager John Lynch addressed Evans’ status Thursday, saying the team will take the next few days to make a final decision.
“I wouldn’t say not likely, I think it’s still TBD. We’ve got a couple more days, we’re going to take every bit of those,” Lynch said during an appearance on KNBR. “He’s done a really good job treating this thing and we know of Mike’s toughness… He’s that type of player that you wait and let it play itself out.”
49ers Have Bye Next Week
Sitting Evans may not be the worst idea, with the 49ers set to have their bye next week. That would give him two full weeks to rest and recover from the rib and Achilles issues he’s been dealing with.
However, the 49ers’ offense struggled in the second half without him, especially with several other wide receivers already sidelined.
The good news for San Francisco is that veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk appears to be trending toward making his 49ers debut Sunday, providing some much-needed reinforcement at the position.
Jon Gruden Drops Concerning Mike Evans Claim Ahead of 49ers-Falcons Game