The San Francisco 49ers surely knew what they signed up for when bringing aboard an aging Mike Evans. The veteran has still been highly productive, but as is typical at an advanced stage in a career, the physical pounding of a season leads to frequent injuries.
So far, both sides of the Evans experience have been true, as he's been productive but frequently banged up. The most recent issue is an Achilles ailment, which led to him missing the 49ers' Week 7 clash with the Atlanta Falcons, a game they ultimately lost to ruin an unbeaten run.
So, when will Mike Evans return? That's a key question lingering now as the team hopes to have its central receiver help the Niners resume their dominance.
Raiders vs. 49ers Week 9 odds
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When will Mike Evans return?
Mike Evans has caught three touchdown passes across five games, and prior to his injury he really erupted, posting 207 yards on just 10 catches across six quarters. A good chunk of that production came in the very game when he aggravated his Achilles injury that has him sidelined now, with Evans registering 94 yards against the Washington Commanders in Week 6 prior to halftime.
He did miss the San Francisco Niners' Week 7 contest, and Evans has often been on the injury report so far this season. That's part of the package with the 33-year-old, who played only eight games last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The encouraging news though lies in both the prognosis, and the timing.
The 49ers are now on their bye week, and they don't take the field again until Nov. 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders. That could very well be all the time Evans needs to recover from this latest issue, with Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reporting he was expected to miss "a little time" and possibly return after the bye week if "all things stay according to plan."
Mike Evans injury history
| Date | Team | Injury | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 24, 2015 |
 TB |
Hamstring strain (Grade 1) | Sept. 20, 2015 Missed 1 game |
| Dec. 8, 2019 |
TB |
Right hamstring strain (Grade 2) | Sept. 13, 2020 Placed on IR; missed final 3 games |
| Jan. 3, 2021 |
TB |
Left knee hyperextension | Jan. 9, 2021 Played in Wild Card round |
| Dec. 19, 2021 |
TB |
Right hamstring strain | Jan. 2, 2022 Missed 1 game |
| Oct. 13, 2024 |
TB |
Right hamstring strain (Grade 2) | Nov. 24, 2024 Missed 3 games |
| Oct. 20, 2025 |
TB |
Broken collarbone | Dec. 11, 2025 Missed 6 games |
| Oct. 18, 2026 |
TB |
Hamstring aggravation | Questionable / Week-to-week Bye Week 8; return targeting Week 9 |
Who has replaced Mike Evans?
The 49ers have been riddled with injuries at the wide receiver position, with Deebo Samuel and Demarcus Robinson also hurting. That's led to Christian Kirk, another veteran, getting snaps, though he played a limited role and didn't show up in the box score against the Falcons.
Brandin Cooks, another veteran journeyman, also received snaps against Atlanta in Week 7, but he was quiet too while turning three targets into 13 yards.
Cooks and Kirk saw increased roles, as did Jordan Watkins, who led all 49ers wideouts in snaps last week with 50. He'll surely continue to receive a workload on that level if Evans and Samuel don't return in Week 9, but there's optimism regarding the status of both.
Mike Evans injury: Odds impact
The 49ers are unsurprisingly the heavy favorites in the lookahead lines for their Week 9 clash with the Raiders while sitting at -9.5. That may drift a smidge further to -10 if an offense already averaging 28.1 points per game (third in the NFL) gets one of its core deep and red-zone threats back in Evans.
But the real number to watch is the total, which is sitting reasonably high now at 48.5. It's one to consider jumping on if you like the Over for your NFL picks, as we've seen how impactful Evans can be when he's on the field. That's why the total could quickly rise even further if we get an Evans practice sighting next week, even in a limited capacity.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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