San Francisco 49ers fans had to be thinking “here we go again” when star wide receiver Mike Evans left Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins in the second half with a hip injury.
Video of his injury can be seen here.
Evans didn’t return, but according to head coach Kyle Shanahan, there was no reason for him to.
Fans on social media were freaking out that Evans exited the game and finished it on the bench. But as Shanahan told reporters after the 35-13 win, because San Francisco was up big, the team didn’t want to risk making Evans’ injury worse.
“No it didn’t (seem like a serious injury),” Shanahan stated, via 95.7 The Game. “It can always change tomorrow, but he would’ve (played) if the game was different. I think he would’ve been able to come back in.”
Shanahan’s Mike Evans Update is Encouraging
Given the current health of the 49ers wide receiver room — Ricky Pearsall is out for the year after having MCL surgery, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling is expected to miss 10-12 weeks with a torn deltoid — San Francisco can’t afford to lose any more pass-catchers.
And given Evans’ age (he’s 33) and injury history (he missed nine games last year with hamstring, shoulder, and groin injuries), few would blame 49ers fans for hitting the panic button had Evans suffered a long-term injury.
If Evans goes down, the 49ers are left with just Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, who was also injured on Sunday, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and KhaDarel Hodge, who’ve combined for just 15 catches, 181 yards, and two touchdowns through the first two games of the season.
49ers Hit With Even More Injuries
While it looks like Evans will be OK, the 49ers were also hit by a slew of additional injuries against the Dolphins.
Most notably, Robinson also left the game and didn’t return. Shanahan didn’t seem as optimistic about his outlook.
“That looked most likely like a high-ankle sprain,” he said of Robinson, who one reporter noted looked like he was hobbling around after leaving the game. So, unfortunate there.”
Cornerback Jack Jones (foot) and defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. (ankle) both exited the game and didn’t return, while rookie edge-rusher Romello Height (hand) left but did come back in the game.
The 49ers can’t afford to lose any more players after what happened during Week 1’s win against the Los Angeles Rams.
The team lost defensive tackle Alfred Collins for the season after he suffered a torn patellar tendon during practice before even taking a regular-season snap. Tight end Jake Tonges was also lost for the year after suffering a torn MCL in the opener.
Stribling will miss most of the regular season with his deltoid injury. Last year’s first-round pick Mykel Williams is still on the PUP list while recovering from a torn ACL.
San Francisco is also playing without wide receiver Christian Kirk, running back Isaac Guerendo, cornerback Nate Hobbs, defensive tackle Sam Okuayinonu, and linebacker Nick Martin, who are all on injured reserve.
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Reveals Mike Evans Injury Update After Win vs Dolphins