Mike Evans left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking for a winning culture and a quarterback who would get him the ball. Through four games with the San Francisco 49ers, he says he found both.
Evans Raves About Brock Purdy
Evans spoke with Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area as the 49ers got ready for the Seattle Seahawks. San Francisco is 4-0. Evans leads all of the team’s receivers with 17 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns.
He called Brock Purdy a winner. “He’s doing whatever it takes to win. Throws a really good ball,” Evans said. “He’s super underrated, but I knew that coming in. He can do everything, his escapability, he can stand in the pocket, he can run, he’s tough.”
Evans said he knew Purdy’s caliber before arriving. What surprised him was the work behind it. “I got here and saw all the work he put in and how smart he was,” Evans said. “Our team is good too, so that helps some.”
Evans Didn’t Expect This About Kyle Shanahan
Evans also wanted to play in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. One part of Shanahan’s coaching caught him off guard. “I didn’t know he knew both sides of the ball so well,” Evans said. “You can see why he is one of the best play callers to ever coach.”
He added that he had never seen a coach dissect the game the way Shanahan does, across offense, defense and special teams. “He’s a beast,” Evans said.
Evans Reflects on Playing Through Injury for the 49ers
Evans played well in the 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos despite a rib injury that ended his Week 3 game early. “It was painful at first, but once my adrenaline got going, it was alright,” Evans said. “I had something close to the same in 2022. It wasn’t ideal, that’s for sure.”
Waiting on Reinforcements in the 49ers’ Receiver Room
The receiver room has taken hit after hit. Evans is looking forward to getting De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson and Christian Kirk back. “It’s next-man-up mentality,” Evans said. “We don’t want to play through injury, but this is our livelihood as well.”
He stayed positive about what the group could be. “Look at the dudes we got,” Evans said. “It’s crazy; just imagine if we were healthy.”
For Evans, winning is what matters most this season, and so far the 49ers are doing plenty of it at 4-0.
49ers’ Mike Evans Drops Telling Quote on Brock Purdy Ahead of Seahawks Game