Why the 49ers Signing Mike Evans to a 3-Year Deal was a Mistake

The oldest team in the NFL just got older

The 49ers are signing Mike Evans to a three-year deal worth up to $60.4 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That's a lot of money for a 32-year-old wide receiver who caught 30 passes last season.

GRADE: D

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) reacts a touchdown during th — Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The 49ers need to get younger and faster. Evans helps them accomplish neither of those goals. He'll turn 33 in August, he missed nine games last season and caught just 30 passes for a mere 368 yards.

Here's the good news: 2025 was the first season of Evans' career in which he failed to gain at least 1,000 yards, so he could bounce back. But, here's the bad news: he looked old last season, which is why the Buccaneers let him go.

Now, he'll join the most injured team in the league with the worst training staff in the NFL (as voted on by the players), one of the worst training rooms and a mysterious electrical substation which might be contributing to their injury issues as well. What could go wrong?

Recently, Evans' agent said that he wants to play for a team that is committed to giving him lots of targets, meaning he wants to be the No. 1 option in the offense. And the 49ers do need a No. 1 option, considering Christian McCaffrey is old, George Kittle is injured, Jauan Jennings is leaving and Ricky Pearsall is a No. 2 receiver.

Dec 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) looks on in the first half — Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

When Evans is healthy, he will be the 49ers' go-to guy in the passing game. And he'll be a good fit with Brock Purdy, who doesn't have a strong arm and tends to throw interceptions when he throws more than 20 yards downfield. He thrives throwing to big receivers over the middle, and Evans is one of the biggest receivers in the league.

But at his age, he probably won't stay healthy getting eight to 10 targets per game. It's easy to envision weeks in which both of the 49ers' starting wide receivers -- Evans and Pearsall -- will be out due to injury. The 49ers have one of the most fragile wide receiver rooms in the NFL.

But, this signing should come as no surprise. Kyle Shanahan has shown no eagerness to play and develop young players on his offense, particularly the past few seasons. And he's terrible at drafting players, so he'll sign someone he knows and get him for a discount because he's old.

Terrible.