Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
Odds by

    Beat: Evans (quad) leaves early, precautionary

    Link copied to clipboard!

    SF Wide Receiver #5
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    The Mercury News’ Cam Inman reports that 49ers WR Mike Evans (quad) left practice early as a “precautionary” measure.

    It would be really nice to see Evans consistently practice in full at this point, but both Inman and ESPN’s Nick Wagoner appear mostly unconcerned by today’s development. Per Wagoner, Evans stopped practicing after running a deep route on Sunday. Evans “seemed to be moving fine” after exiting. Wagoner adds that it is “clear he and the Niners want to be cautious to get him to the regular season ready to go.” Evans’ soft tissue concerns remain present, but as long as he takes the field on game day, he is a WR2 with WR1 upside.
Preseason stories: LAC contenders? Mendoza's role
Dan Patrick and Co. discuss preseason takeaways from around the NFL.

Related Player News

  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Evans has been dealing with a myriad of injuries throughout training camp, the latest being a groin issue. The injuries have been reported as minor as the 33-year-old manages his way through practices after having missed significant time due to injuries the last couple seasons. He was already expected to miss minimal time - if any - and Fowler confirms that Evans and the 49ers are still preparing for him to play Week 1.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Kyle Shanahan indicated Evans should be back to practice next week before leaving for Australia. The line between “Evans is being treated very carefully” and “Evans is always hurt” has been blurred for a few years now, but it doesn’t seem like he’s in any danger of missing time yet.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Evans picked up a quad strain on August 3rd. He resumed practicing on August 11th and continued doing so until the 18th, when he left the 49ers’ joint practice with the Chargers early and was later seen icing his quad. This was just a cautionary move, per Maiocco, and Evans was able to do some pre-game running before the 49ers’ Thursday night preseason game against the Chargers two days later. Maiocco adds that he doesn’t expect Evans “to do much practicing” between now and Week 1, but he seems confident in his position that Evans will be good to go for the season opener. Evans, 33, has a history of soft tissue strains. When healthy, he is a WR2 with WR1 upside.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    He was limited to individual work, but it’s a good sign that Evans is back on the field at all. It does seem like his quad injury isn’t much to worry about and that he can be drafted with that in mind.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Given the way injuries have piled up for the 49ers during their first week of camp, this is pretty good news. Evans, 32, could miss a few days due to his injury, but the veteran receiver isn’t expected to miss any significant time. Evans was having a strong first few days of camp before his injury and should be firmly in the conversation as a WR2 for fantasy this season.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    The injuries continue to mount for the 49ers early in camp. Evans is reportedly dealing with a quad strain that we will hopefully learn more about later, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (hamstring) and Kaelon Black (adductor) are also missing Monday’s practice due to injuries. The recent string of injuries now makes for four receivers the Niners have seen go down in camp, with Christian Kirk (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) both being injured last week. We will check back in when we receive updates on the status of these players.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Kittle described Evans as being “the first legit veteran wide receiver [he’s] had on [the] roster since Emmanuel Sanders in 2019,” adding that Evans “takes ball seriously.” The 49ers’ wide receiver corps has had its distractions over the past few seasons, but it appears as though Evans has been a stabilizing presence for the offense. Teammates told The Athletic’s Matt Barrows that “Evans’ length and route-running ability have already been evident,” and Evans has played very well in red zone drills. Evans adds that his change of scenery, from Tampa Bay to San Francisco, has him feeling “rejuvenated.” If his health can hold up, Evans could find himself in the fantasy WR2 tier with touchdown-based upside.
  • FA Wide Receiver
    Boston has a good chance of being on the draft board when the 49ers make their first round selection at No. 27 overall. Boston in his final collegiate season at Washington had 62 receptions for 881 receiving yards (14.2 yards per catch) and was tied for ninth in the FBS with 11 receiving touchdowns. Boston ranks 42nd in yards per route run among wideouts in the 2026 draft class. The big-bodied Boston would pair well with veteran Mike Evans, who signed with the Niners during free agency. With Evans, Boston, and George Kittle, Brock Purdy would have a range of excellent red zone options in 2026.
  • SF Wide Receiver
    Wagoner prefaced the statement by revealing that in the first meeting between 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Evans, “Shanahan laid out the plan for how he will be incorporated into an offense that also includes” RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle and QB Brock Purdy. McCaffrey’s 95 red zone touches in the 2025 regular season led all 49ers players by 79 and all other NFL players by 21. Knowing that Shanahan is already scheming up red zone opportunities for Evans is great to hear. McCaffrey can also lose a few red zone touches and still remain an elite RB1. There should be more than enough opportunities in scoring position for both players to feast. Evans currently projects as a WR2 with double-digit touchdown upside.
  • SF Wide Receiver #13
    It could essentially be a one-year contract, as only about $16.3 million is guaranteed. The Buccaneers lifer will now work with Brock Purdy in the Bay Area. A broken collarbone ruined Evans’ 2025 season, but it’s hard to believe if he’s healthy he won’t remain a stalwart WR2 in what profiles to be an improved passing game fit. Evans will take Jauan Jennings’ role with Ricky Pearsall on the other side of the formation, and he’ll do what Jennings did last year — box out smaller defensive backs and win contested balls. Jennings had nine touchdowns last year despite missing part of the season and playing with Mac Jones for other parts of it. 10-plus touchdowns is absolutely in Evans’ range of outcomes.

Rotoworld

  • KC Wide Receiver #13
    Player Stats
    Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Cyrus Allen caught 1-of-2 targets for 12 yards in the Chiefs’ preseason game against the Seahawks.

    The Chiefs let most of their starters take the field in this game and Allen wasn’t among them. He didn’t see a snap until after Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton had all left the contest. His first target didn’t come until the third quarter, and it was a drop on a high throw. The rookie rebounded with a 12-yard gain for a first down on the very next play. After playing well into the second half of the team’s final preseason game, Allen is, at best, the Chiefs’ WR4 entering the season. Despite the strong training camp, he shouldn’t be in starting fantasy lineups for Week 1.
  • NYG Wide Receiver #3
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Odell Beckham caught 3-of-6 targets for 53 yards in the Giants’ preseason game against the Jets.

    Darnell Mooney and Malachi Fields rested. Malik Nabers, still recovering from his 2025 ACL tear, was held out. Beckham drew the start along with the rest of the second-string offense. His stat line was impressive and it nearly went stratospheric when he burned the Jets’ secondary for a would-be 70-yard touchdown. Jameis Winston overthrew the pass and Beckham was unable to haul it in despite laying out for the catch. Per the eye test, Beckham still has something in the tank, even if that something is likely just good enough for a depth role. He isn’t a lock to make the Giants’ roster, but this preseason showing certainly helped.
  • TB Running Back #44
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Buccaneers RB Sean Tucker rushed five times for 15 yards in Friday’s preseason game against the Jaguars.

    Tucker and RB Josh Williams competed for the Buccaneers’ No. 3 running back job all night. Tucker got the start, touching the ball on three of the first four plays. Unfortunately, the drive ultimately ended in a punt, as did almost all of the others. It was an unproductive night for the Buccaneers’ offense. Williams entered the game on the second drive, and the two players continued to rotate in and out thereafter. Williams rushed eight times for 21 yards. Tucker caught one pass for minus-one yard as well. Neither player really separated from the other in the box score. The team must now choose between the trusted, higher-priced veteran, Tucker, and the more affordable second-year player, Williams. If Tucker is released, it could allow “1A” RB Bucky Irving to hoard short-yardage and goal-line work, which would significantly boost his fantasy-scoring outlook.
  • KC Running Back #10
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Emmet Johnson rushed seven times for 39 yards in the Chiefs’ preseason game against the Seahawks.

    Johnson added two catches for 15 yards and had another chunk gain through the air called back because of a penalty. Kenneth Walker didn’t play in this contest, allowing Johnson to draw the start with some of KC’s first-team offense on the field. Johnson split reps with Emari Demercado over the team’s first three drives, then left the game for good. He looks like the team’s No. 2 back, though all three backs have been the next man up behind Walker at some point during the preseason. Johnson isn’t guaranteed the backup job, but he’s now the favorite, putting him in the mix as a late-round flyer in deeper fantasy leagues.
  • NO Wide Receiver #18
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Saints WR Bryce Lance caught 2-of-4 targets for 28 yards in Friday’s preseason game against the Cowboys.

    Lance could have the inside track for the Saints’ short-term No. 3 wide receiver job with WR Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) sidelined, though WR Barion Brown will almost assuredly make the roster as a receiver and returner. Lance nearly added a decent, leaping downfield gain to his box score, but QB Spencer Rattler’s pass grazed off his fingertips along the sideline. Brown was not involved as a receiver today, but rushed twice for 19 yards and one touchdown, including an eight-yard jet sweep that got him into the end zone. He also returned one punt for four yards.
  • MIN Quarterback #11
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Carson Wentz completed 3-of-4 passes for 15 yards in the Vikings’ preseason game against the Broncos.

    Wentz started this game and was on the field for two drives, both of which resulted in punts. J.J. McCarthy missed this game with an ankle issue and was already fighting for the backup job. The missed practice time and recurring injury issues likely have him behind Wentz on the depth chart when Week 1 comes around. The hope for Vikings fans is that Murray is a capable distributor of the football and neither Wentz nor McCarthy sees the field this year.
  • DEN Wide Receiver #19
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Marvin Mims (foot) is questionable to return in the Broncos’ preseason game against the Vikings.

    The questionable designation is a formality. The teams will not throw Mims back into this game after he left with a foot issue in the first half. Mims’ role as a receiver declined last year, but he remains one of the league’s best returners. Sean Payton would need to figure out a plan for both kick and punt return duties.
  • DAL Running Back #20
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Cowboys RB Malik Davis was held out with the starters in Friday’s preseason game against the Saints.

    Davis appears to have secured a roster spot, but we won’t know for sure until Sunday. The broadcast initially referred to him as the starter, but it was instead RB Phil Mafah who took the field. Mafah dominated backfield touches throughout the first half, repeatedly running into Saints defenders on runs up the middle. He was spelled by RB Israel Abanikanda. Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue does not seem to be playing this evening. Last Sunday, The Athletic’s Jon Machota predicted Blue would seize the No. 2 running back job from Davis in-season.
  • NYG Running Back #29
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Giants announced RB Tyrone Tracy was evaluated for concussion, but was cleared.

    Tracy left Friday’s preseason game against the Jets with an apparent injury in the second quarter. The Giants announced Tracy was evaluated for a concussion, but was able to clear concussion protocol. Before leaving the game, Tracy had 37 yards and a touchdown on four carries. He doesn’t carry much standalone fantasy value in a crowded Giants backfield that also includes Cam Skattebo, Najee Harris and Devin Singletary.
  • NYG Running Back #22
    Player Stats
    Link copied to clipboard!

    Giants RB Najee Harris rushed 11 times for 39 yards in Friday’s preseason game against the Jets, adding one reception for 20 yards.

    Harris saw his first game action since he suffered a torn Achilles last year. The 28-year-old running back had 39 yards on 11 carries and his longest run was for nine yards. Harris added a 20-yard reception, giving him 59 scrimmage yards on 12 opportunities. Harris was brought in to be a “significant contributor” to the Giants, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. He looked the part in Friday’s preseason finale against the Jets.