SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As wide receiver Mike Evans surveyed the free agent landscape and evaluated his options, he wanted his ultimate decision to be as football-centric as possible.
Evans, who spent his first dozen years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wanted to go somewhere he could continue to build a potential Hall of Fame career while aiming to win another Super Bowl. When the dust settled, Evans signed a three-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers worth $42.4 million that could reach $60.4 million with incentives.
Why the Niners?
Evans said Thursday that it was the best decision for him “football-wise” and that he wanted to go to a team that “always competes” for championships. The 49ers went 12-5 last season and bowed out in the NFC divisional round.
“Even with all the injuries last year … I feel like they were one piece away,” Evans said. “And I think that I am that piece. I look forward to coming here and proving that.”
To be sure, Evans’ choice to leave Tampa Bay was not made lightly. He said that decision was “always going to be hard,” noting that he and his family had built a life there.
But he also wanted to see what other challenges might exist, and he did his research on potential landing spots. Evans said he looked at every contending team that might need a No. 1 receiver — naming the Buffalo Bills as another possibility — but he kept coming back to San Francisco.
Although the dollar figures were significant, they were far from the driving factor.
“I love money like everybody else, but … the money was not the biggest factor for me,” Evans said. “Like I said, it was just football and something that I can be excited about. I’m super excited.
“… I feel like it’s given me a second wind in my career. And that’s why I chose to come here.”
When Evans talked to the Niners as the early negotiating window opened Monday, he said his conversation with coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch solidified it for him, calling the Niners a “no-brainer.”
Shanahan and Lynch weren’t the only members of the Niners organization pushing for Evans to land in the Bay Area. Evans said that he has relationships with multiple 49ers players but that tight end George Kittle was the most involved.
“I knew a lot of them from Pro Bowls and just seeing them around the league after games and things like that,” Evans said. “But George was the biggest salesman. George sold it big-time. And he’s a big reason why I’m here, just because the type of player and teammate that he is.”
Evans is expected to step in right away as the “X” receiver and provide veteran leadership for a wideout group that currently doesn’t have much experience, save for Demarcus Robinson.
In their conversation, Evans said Shanahan laid out the plan for how he will be incorporated into an offense that also includes running back Christian McCaffrey, Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy.
Evans’ red zone and tight-window acumen should translate quickly into Shanahan’s offense. He has scored double-digit touchdowns in six of his 12 seasons and, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, his 27 touchdowns on tight-window throws over the past 10 seasons is six more than the next closest player had.
Evans, who turns 33 in August, made it clear that he’s looking forward to the chance to show he’s still the player who tied Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (11) before hamstring and collarbone issues limited him to eight games in 2025.
“I always feel like I’ve got to prove something,” Evans said. “I always feel like I can be better, and I want to show that I’m still who people believe that I am, and that’s one of the best to ever do it.”
