Did the San Francisco 49ers just dodge a bullet with their star wide receiver? It sure looks that way. Mike Evans suffered an injury late in the first half on Monday Night Football as he was playing through achilles soreness and fractured ribs. Evans had to leave the contest after going to the ground to make a tough catch and was ruled out for the remainder of the game shortly after.

Jennifer Lee Chan tweeted before the end of Monday night’s game against the Washington Commanders that Mike Evans’ Achilles is intact but he will miss a little time, potentially after the bye week if all things stay according to plan.

That was the first sign of good news. The second came from the head coach himself. After the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Mike Evans’ Achilles is sore but unlikely to need additional testing.

Shanahan went further than that. He said that Mike Evans has Achilles tendonitis and has dealt with this stuff over his career, and that Evans told him going into the game that he was confident in his ability to play, and they knew that something like this could be the effect.

Why this is great news for the 49ers

Look, anytime you hear the word “Achilles” attached to one of your best players, your stomach drops. Losing a player like Mike Evans for a long stretch would have been a gut punch for San Francisco, especially considering where the 49ers are in their season.

Instead, this sounds like something Evans and the coaching staff saw coming and planned around. Evans knew the risk, he told Shanahan he could play, and he did. After not practicing the entire week. Now the 49ers know what they’re dealing with, and it isn’t the worst-case scenario.

The schedule helps, too. San Francisco heads to Atlanta to face the Falcons on Sunday on a short week, and that game is followed by the bye week. The 49ers don’t play again until they host the Raiders on Nov. 8.

That gives Evans a real window between Sunday and Nov. 8 to get healthy and recover. I don’t see any need for him to play against the Falcons. Sit him, let him rest through the bye, and get him back to full strength for the stretch run. If he misses one game and comes back fresh, that’s a trade San Francisco should take every single time.

Evans has been the engine of this offense

This isn’t just any receiver we’re talking about. Evans has been phenomenal for the 49ers. In his first stint with San Francisco he currently leads the team in receptions (34), yards (326) and has put up three touchdowns. 

What makes it even more impressive is that he has played through injury for a majority of it. Evans suffered a rib injury in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals and kept going. Then came the Achilles soreness that ultimately forced him out of Monday night’s game against Washington at the end of the first half.

Even in a half of work, he made his mark. Evans had already racked up three receptions for 94 yards before leaving. Those 94 yards still led the 49ers on the night, and shows what a dominant performance he was on pace forl. A guy who plays one half and still leads the team in receiving is a guy you can’t afford to lose for months.

That’s exactly why this update matters so much. San Francisco needs Mike Evans healthy, not just available, or playing through injury. Playing through ribs and a sore Achilles shows his toughness, but the smart play here is to give his body the break it has been asking for.

The 49ers have the calendar on their side. Get through Atlanta, use the bye week, and I fully expect Evans to be back out there against the Raiders looking like the same player who has carried this receiving corps all season.