San Francisco 49ers face potentially costly Mike Evans injury setback after star receiver played through multiple injuries
After missing an entire week of practice with multiple injuries, Mike Evans suffered another setback against Washington that raises questions about San Francisco’s decision to play him.
Did the San Francisco 49ers push their luck with their star wide receiver? We may find out sooner than anyone wanted. Mike Evans left the game in the final minutes of the first half against the Washington Commanders with an achilles injury. He was listed as questionable to return. At the time, he led the team with three receptions for 94 yards.
The 49ers have now announced that Mike Evans will not return tonight.
Now, before you freak out, Evans was able to walk off the field with minor assistance. It did not appear to be anything of a substantial injury. However, it does make you wonder if he was worth suiting up tonight.
Evans was already carrying a lot into this one. He was dealing with his rib injury and achilles soreness, and the 49ers kept him out of practice for the entire week leading up to the matchup. The team gave him the nod to play just prior to kickoff. Look, that’s never an ideal setup for a veteran receiver, and it showed up at the worst possible moment.
How the Mike Evans injury happened
The play came in the red zone. Evans ran a seam route down the middle of the field, and Brock Purdy targeted him.
Purdy did the smart thing here. He threw the football low to protect Evans from taking a potential hit to the rib area he is dealing with. Evans went low to the ground to make the catch, and he hauled it in.
That’s where things went sideways. Evans was immediately favoring that achilles as he tried to get up, and it took him a few seconds to do so because of the pain. You never like seeing a player slow to rise in that spot, especially one who didn’t practice all week.
The broadcast also showed Evans stretching out his achilles on the field during a TV timeout before he left. He was clearly trying to make some of that pain go away. Obviously, that’s not a great sign when a player is working on a sore area in the middle of a game.
Now, there should be no blame on Purdy. The low throw was the right call given what Evans was dealing with at his ribs. The problem is that protecting one injury forced Mike Evans into a position that put stress on the other one. That’s the tough reality of playing a receiver with two separate issues at once.
What losing Evans means for San Francisco
Here’s what stings for the 49ers. Evans was having an excellent first half, leading the team in receiving. He looked like the version of himself that San Francisco needed, battling through the rib injury and still producing.
Losing your top target is never easy. Losing him in the red zone, where his size and catch radius make him so dangerous, makes it even harder. That’s a big deal for a 49ers offense that leans on Purdy finding his playmakers in tight windows.
The good news? San Francisco is swiftly in control of this one at the half over Washington. The 49ers built that cushion with Evans on the field, and the rest of the offense should be able to carry the load in the second half if needed.
The 49ers should play it safe
I’ll be honest, I don’t know how serious this is. Nobody outside the medical team does right now. With that being said, I know exactly what I would do if I were calling the shots in San Francisco. I would keep Evans on the sideline. And that’s what they’re doing.
The 49ers have control of the game against the Commanders. Brock Purdy is playing great. There’s no reason to send a receiver back out there who missed a full week of practice, is nursing his ribs, and was stretching his Achilles during a timeout. The upside of a few extra catches in a game you’re already winning doesn’t come close to the downside of turning soreness into something that costs him weeks.
Evans is far more valuable to San Francisco in December and January than he is in the second half of this one. They are making a smart move by shutting him down, letting the medical staff do its work, and getting him right for the long haul. It’s a much better move than letting him even suit up tonight.
