The 49ers’ 32-29 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field had no shortage of dramatic moments.
And perhaps the most viral of those moments came in the second quarter, when Mike Evans appeared to execute a hilarious troll job of Seattle cornerback Trevon Diggs. Fans on social media thought the veteran receiver was pretending not to know who the two-time Pro Bowl selection Diggs was, something only a player of Evans’ caliber could pull off.
But when asked about the interaction after the game, Evans told reporters he honestly didn’t know who was talking trash to him in the moment.
“I mean, I was blocking him until the whistle, and then [Diggs] said something like I’m doing extra or something like that,” Evans explained. “And I didn’t know that was him at first, because I played against him a few times and we always been cool, you know, he’s a good player. I honestly didn’t know it was him because in the helmet, it’s hard to tell sometimes, and you know, we were just talking trash.
“I think I like pushed him, and then I was like, ‘Who are you?’ And I looked to make sure, and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s f–king Diggs.’ And then he mushed me. It should have been a penalty. But yeah, I mean, it is what it is.”
Regardless of whether Evans was being sincere or not, social media had a field day with the clip.
Former 49ers and Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman chimed in on X, appearing to be almost jealous of Evans for coming up with that troll.
Mike Evans Checking to see the name on the back of the Jersey is an all-time Gif and trash talk moment that I wish I would have thought of.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) October 11, 2026
Who knows what would have happened if Sherman had done that to Michael Crabtree back in 2013 or so — it probably wouldn’t have gone over well.
Meanwhile, aside from his expert-level unintentional trash talk, Evans also delivered his biggest game thus far as a 49ers player on Sunday. He tallied seven receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown, including some mind-boggling connections with Brock Purdy to help San Francisco pull out a thrilling rivalry victory.
At this point, what can’t Evans do?