The San Francisco 49ers revamped their wideout group this offseason, signing veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk to give Brock Purdy more pass-catching options for the 2026 NFL season.
Moreover, Purdy will need to rely on these two early on, with tight end George Kittle likely missing the early part of the campaign as he returns from a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in the playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the July 1 edition of “New Heights,” Kittle shared his thoughts on having Evans be one of the go-to guys on offense and noted that it’s been a while since the Niners have had veteran wideouts join the team.
“One thing I was talking to Purdy about a couple of days ago is that this is our first veteran wide receiver since we had Mike Evans,” Kittle said. “We had Deebo [Samuel] and [Brandon] Aiyuk, but they were both in years one through four. Deebo was in year five, but Mike Evans is a guy who, just watching him and seeing his savviness, is incredible.
“He understands concepts. In the red zone, if one guy has the corner route and another guy has the ‘now’ route underneath it, the way he sets it up against a defender with outside leverage and then gets wide open is so fun to watch.”
49ers’ George Kittle Gives Injury Update
Moreover, the Niners are hopeful that they can keep Evans, Kirk, and Kittle healthy throughout the 2026 season so their passing game can give opponents trouble. In that same episode of “New Heights,” Kittle shared the latest regarding where he’s at in his recovery process.
“Rehab’s going great. I got on the AlterG treadmill, which is the anti-gravity treadmill,” Kittle added. “I’m at 100 percent body weight, jogging at nine miles an hour. So, I think I’m ahead of schedule. We just started our jumping series, doing some 1080 walks and marching drills. I was in cleats for the first time yesterday. So, hey, we’re back on the field, baby.”
Commanders Insider on Bradon Aiyuk Situation
Speaking of 49ers wide receivers, there’s the whole situation with Brandon Aiyuk, and Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic shared where the Washington Commanders stand in all of this in a June 30 mailbag article.
Despite the plethora of videos on social media attacking the Niners, he could still end up in Washington if the timeline makes sense.
“If the 49ers do release Aiyuk before the start of training camp, the Commanders could still consider him,” Jhabvala said. “But they’d have to feel incredibly confident that he’s fit, physically and emotionally, to not just sign, but be committed to what they’re trying to build. That’s a big “if” given his recent history and the fallout with the 49ers.
“Then there’s the physical component. His talent a few years ago may not have been in question, but his ability to play at that level now certainly is; the last time he was active was in Week 7 of the 2024 season. That was more than 20 months ago.”
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