The San Francisco 49ers improved their wide receiver group this offseason with the signings of veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. After not having their No. 1 guy, Brandon Aiyuk, and injuries limiting Ricky Pearsall last season, the Niners wanted to build depth at the position.
Moreover, it gives QB Brock Purdy plenty of targets to get the football to next season. The question will be whether Evans and Kirk can stay healthy next season.
If both veterans play a significant amount of games in 2026 for the 49ers, then the team’s offense will look vastly different. While the 2026 season is still months away, head coach Kyle Shanahan is excited to have these two players in his wide receiver room.
“Mike’s a unique dude,” Shanahan said on the March 23 edition of “49ers Talk.” “He’s a Hall of Famer. Never had a guy truly like Mike. I’ve had some Hall of Famers, but they’ve all been wired differently.
“To get a guy with Mike’s length, what he can do down the field, how big of a competitor he is, I just love the guy and how committed he is to win. I think that’s why he chose to come to us. He thinks football first and wanted to be in what he thought was the best football situation for him. When you have guys like that, to me, it gives you a chance to do something special.”
“… [As for Kirk], he could have gone to some other places, too, but he wanted to be in the right situation. He liked our place and has always been a huge fan of Christian since he was at Arizona. I feel lucky to get both those guys.”
Mina Kimes Talks 49ers Signing Mike Evans
When it comes to the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout, the question is whether Evans still has something left in the tank for the 49ers. Nonetheless, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes believes he does and has high expectations for this union between the Niners and the 32-year-old in 2026.
“This was truly the best option for [the 49ers], especially given their timeline and how competitive they should be. Some of [Evans’] metrics last year are very concerning,“ Kimes said in a video posted on March 13 from her X account. “The ESPN receiver numbers do not like his openness and all that, but he was injured for so much of the season.
“I’m willing to believe that he can, if not return to form, at least give the Niners a level of production — red‑zone and outside the numbers — that’ll make this worth their time… It feels a little bit like Derrick Henry joining the Ravens.”
Veteran Wideout Mike Evans Fits the Niners
Kimes went into further detail, believing that Evans’ joining the 49ers will play out well, even though advanced data might suggest the veteran wideout is on the downside of his career.
“Everything in football history tells you to bet against a player in their 30s at that position,” Kimes added. “But then they join the right situation, you know how good this player is and how smart they are. You just think about how the coach is going to use him, and it just makes a lot of sense.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Mike Evans, Christian Kirk Get Strong Words Over 49ers Signing appeared first on Heavy Sports.