Mike Evans‘ departure from Tampa Bay sent shockwaves through the region and inspired the same in the Bay Area.
He’s happy, too, because San Francisco is where he wanted to be.
“I feel like they were one piece away, and I’m that piece,” Evans said during his introductory press conference Thursday in Santa Clara, Calif.
Evans’ logic, while initially surprising, makes plenty of sense. He wanted to join a contender (San Francisco finished 12-5 in 2025), considered “teams with good quarterbacks” (hello, Brock Purdy), and because he’s a fan of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive approach, Evans landed on San Francisco as his top destination.
“It was always going to be hard to leave Tampa,” the wide receiver admitted. “Football-wise, this was the best spot for me for sure. I’ve always appreciated how the Niners went about their business on the football field.”