Mike Evans apparently made it through the hard part.
The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver played through a painful rib injury in Sunday’s 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos, catching five passes for 76 yards despite visibly laboring at different points of the game.
More importantly, Evans did not make the injury worse.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said October 5 there were “no setbacks” for Evans after the game, according to David Lombardi. Shanahan also offered an encouraging prediction with San Francisco preparing to visit the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5.
He believes Evans “will be a little better next week” as his ribs continue to heal.
Considering Shanahan wasn’t even convinced Evans would be able to play against Denver, that’s a meaningful step forward.
Mike Evans Played Through Significant Pain for 49ers
Evans’ availability against Denver was uncertain until close to kickoff.
The 49ers listed him as questionable after he missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning in a limited capacity Friday. San Francisco ultimately made Evans active despite the rib injury he suffered against the Arizona Cardinals one week earlier.
Shanahan later admitted he hadn’t been counting on having Evans.
“The way he was at walk-through on Friday, I knew how much pain he was in,” Shanahan said after the victory, adding that Evans never changed his stride or outwardly showed how much he was hurting.
The 33-year-old nevertheless became one of Brock Purdy’s most productive targets against Denver.
Evans finished with five receptions for 76 yards on eight targets, giving San Francisco badly needed production during a game that remained tied 3-3 at halftime.
And apparently, he escaped without paying an additional price for it.
That changes the conversation heading into Seattle. Instead of wondering whether Evans’ decision to play might cost him Week 5, Shanahan is now anticipating improvement.
49ers Finally Get Some Encouraging Injury News
There are still plenty of other medical issues for Shanahan to navigate.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk suffered a knee injury against Denver, with early indications pointing toward a sprain, while defensive back Marques Sigle injured his ankle and Upton Stout dealt with a shoulder issue.
San Francisco nevertheless moved to 4-0 with the victory and remains atop the NFC West.
That makes Evans’ update one of the more encouraging pieces of news coming out of Week 4.
He wasn’t close to 100% against Denver and still gave Purdy 76 receiving yards. If Shanahan is right and Evans takes another step forward physically before Seattle, the 49ers may have gotten through their latest injury scare without actually losing their No. 1 receiver.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Gives Mike Evans Injury Update Before Seahawks Game