San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan delivered another concerning Mike Evans injury update Wednesday, October 21, suggesting the veteran wide receiver’s Achilles tendonitis could require management beyond this week’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
Evans will not practice Wednesday as he continues recovering from the injury that forced him out of Monday night’s 23-17 win over the Washington Commanders.
But Shanahan’s comments raised a bigger question about how long the injury might affect San Francisco’s leading receiver.
“We had to manage it last week, we’ll manage it again this week,” Shanahan said during his Wednesday press conference. “We’ll see how the rest of the year goes.”
The 49ers are not ruling Evans out against Atlanta. However, the latest update offers little reassurance about his availability, particularly after he was unable to finish Monday’s game.
Mike Evans’ Achilles Injury Remains a Concern for 49ers
The 49ers announced that Evans would miss practice, with no substantial update on whether he will play against the Falcons.
The absence follows an identical approach last week, when Evans missed every practice leading up to the Commanders game before ultimately receiving clearance to play.
That decision did not work out as the 49ers hoped.
Evans caught three passes for 94 yards in the first half against Washington but aggravated his Achilles injury following a 16-yard reception late in the second quarter. He went to the locker room and never returned.
After the game, Shanahan acknowledged the team understood Evans might have trouble finishing the contest.
“It was a pretty close call in terms of that he wasn’t able to go all week,” Shanahan said, according to Reuters. “We knew he might not be able to last.”
Shanahan initially expressed optimism that the injury would not become a long-term problem. His latest comments, however, suggest the 49ers are preparing to manage Evans’ workload for an indefinite period.
That does not mean Evans is expected to miss the remainder of the season. It does mean the team has yet to establish when its top receiver will be fully healthy.
49ers Offense Struggled Without Mike Evans Against Commanders
Evans’ potential absence is particularly troubling given what happened to San Francisco’s offense after he left Monday’s game.
According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, the 49ers averaged 9.3 yards per play with Evans on the field against Washington. Without him, that number dropped to 4.5 yards per play.
The Commanders also became considerably more aggressive defensively, blitzing quarterback Brock Purdy on 70% of his second-half dropbacks.
San Francisco’s final three possessions produced no first downs and just seven net yards.
Evans has 27 receptions for 420 yards and three touchdowns through six games, leading the 49ers in receiving yards.
His injury comes amid considerable uncertainty elsewhere in San Francisco’s receiving corps, with Deebo Samuel Sr. also missing Monday’s game and Christian Kirk working toward a return from injured reserve.
Without Evans, the 49ers could again lean heavily on their running game, George Kittle and a depleted group of receivers against Atlanta.
Is Mike Evans Playing Against the Falcons?
Evans’ status for Sunday’s October 25 matchup with the Falcons remains uncertain as of Wednesday afternoon.
He has not been ruled out, and his absence from Wednesday’s practice does not automatically mean he will miss the game. After all, he played against Washington without practicing the previous week.
But the 49ers face another consideration: Their Week 8 bye.
Resting Evans against Atlanta would give him additional recovery time before San Francisco returns to action in Week 9. That is an option, not a decision Shanahan has announced.
The unbeaten 49ers are 6-0 entering Sunday’s game, giving the coaching staff a difficult choice between preserving Evans’ health and keeping one of Purdy’s most important weapons on the field.
For now, the next meaningful development will come from Evans’ participation in practice Thursday and Friday, followed by his official game designation.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Makes Concerning Mike Evans Admission Before Falcons Game