Recently, the San Francisco 49ers made a splash by signing free agent wide receiver Mike Evans away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans brings a veteran presence to the 49ers wide receiver room and will give quarterback Brock Purdy an immediate downfield threat who can win jump balls and make plays.
Recently, NFL insider Mike Florio of NBC Sports Pro Football Talk added more context to what the $60 million deal that Evans signed with San Francisco represents.
“Before Mike Evans picked his next team, multiple reports suggested that he was being offered $27 million per year, or more. If that’s the case, Evans took a major discount to play for the 49ers,” reported Florio.
Florio also noted that “He seemed to be determined to play for the 49ers, even with the 13.3-percent California tax rate. (In Florida, it’s zero.)”
The 49ers are coming off a 2025 season in which they once again dealt with a plethora of injuries but showed an impressive amount of resolve, winning a playoff game on the road before eventually running out of gas against the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Evan has become somewhat of an injury risk in his own right at the age of 32, having missed extended time last year due to a collarbone injury suffered against the Detroit Lions.
However, when he's on his game, he remains an elite downfield target, who should come in handy for a 49ers offense that will likely be without tight end George Kittle for some or all of the year, and with Brandon Aiyuk's future with the franchise currently in serious doubt.
If the 49ers are able to experience some semblance of health in the 2026 season, they could once again become real contenders in the NFC with Evans in the fold.
