The San Francisco 49ers’ rebuilt wide receiver room has sustained another setback.
Veteran wide receiver Mike Evans did not practice Monday because of a quad strain, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on August 3. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner also reported the injury and Evans’ absence, though neither supplied a recovery timetable.
The uncertainty matters after the 49ers learned that Ricky Pearsall will miss the entire 2026 season because of a lingering knee injury that requires surgery. Pearsall’s setback had already increased the pressure on Evans, Deebo Samuel and Christian Kirk to establish themselves quickly in San Francisco’s offense.
Evans’ absence might ultimately prove precautionary. Until the 49ers provide more detail, however, the severity of the strain and his potential availability for the preseason remain unclear.
Mike Evans Injury Comes After Ricky Pearsall Setback
San Francisco signed Evans during the offseason to give Brock Purdy an established outside target with size and red-zone production.
The 49ers introduced Evans in March after signing the six-time Pro Bowl selection to a three-year contract. ESPN reported that the agreement could be worth as much as $60.4 million, with Evans scheduled to collect $14.3 million in cash and carry a $4.25 million salary-cap charge in 2026.
That investment took on even greater importance once Pearsall’s season ended before the first preseason game.
Pearsall had been dealing with a posterior cruciate ligament injury dating to the 2025 season. Recurring swelling during camp eventually led the receiver and team to choose surgery, removing a former first-round pick from the offense for the year.
Evans now represents one of San Francisco’s clearest answers for replacing Pearsall’s perimeter production. At 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, he gives the 49ers a different physical profile from the other receivers on the roster. The team lists Evans with 13,052 career receiving yards, while he finished the 2025 season with 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns.
Missing several August practices would not erase that experience. It could, however, cost Evans valuable work with Purdy while the offense incorporates multiple new and returning pieces.
49ers’ Wide Receiver Depth Is Already Being Tested
The 49ers have veteran names on the depth chart, but their available practice group has thinned quickly.
John Chapman noted that San Francisco’s top four receivers entering camp — Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk and De’Zhaun Stribling — were all absent from Monday’s practice. Pearsall is out for the season, while Evans has a quad strain and Stribling has been dealing with hamstring tightness. The supplied post does not specify why Kirk was absent.
That makes the concern broader than Evans missing one August workout. San Francisco is trying to build timing with several new pieces, and many of the receivers expected to handle prominent roles are currently unavailable.
The absences should create additional snaps for players fighting for roster spots, but they also limit Brock Purdy’s opportunities to develop chemistry with the group the 49ers expect to feature during the regular season.
The next public checkpoint arrives August 13, when San Francisco hosts the Tennessee Titans in its preseason opener. There is no reported timetable for Evans yet, but the 49ers’ depleted practice group gives the team little reason to rush him back.
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