During a dozen years in Tampa, receiver Mike Evans has quietly pieced together a strong case for Canton. The next chapter could be coming with a new team.
Evans becomes a free agent on Monday. Two years ago, he re-signed with the Buccaneers before hitting the market.
Teammate Chris Godwin, who opted to stay with the Bucs during free agency a year ago, can’t process the possibility of Evans playing elsewhere.
“It would be so weird,” Godwin said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I can’t imagine talking to him on a different field and seeing him in a different jersey. . . .
’I hope that he’s here. I don’t know the intricacies of the deal. Everybody does their own thing. I don’t know what he’s willing to take and I don’t know what they’re willing to offer. But I hope that he’s back, for a lot of reasons, but he’s my brother.”
As Stroud notes, Evans will have interest elsewhere. Possibilities include the 49ers, Chargers, Commanders, and Giants.
It all comes down to money. Chances are that the terms already are in place, with the only thing standing in the way of the news breaking is the clock striking 12 on Monday afternoon.
Evans had 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Buccaneers, tying him with Jerry Rice for the all-time record. (Evans holds the record for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start a career.)
With 866 catches, 13,052 yards, and 108 touchdowns, Evans ranks 31st in career catches, 21st in receiving yards, and 10th in receiving touchdowns. He was a member of the team that won Super Bowl LV.
Whether he joins a new team or stays put in Tampa for at least another season will be known soon.
Eddy Pineiro has secured some job stability as the 49ers’ kicker.
Pineiro, who was scheduled to hit free agency next week, has instead agreed to a four-year contract to remain in San Francisco.
His agents told reporters that the total value of the contract is $17 million, with $10 million guaranteed.
The 30-year-old Pineiro has had an up-and-down career, spending time with the Raiders, Bears, Colts, Commanders, Jets and Panthers before signing with the 49ers last year. In 2025 he went 28-for-29 on field goals, with a long of 59, and the 49ers will hope he can maintain that kind of consistency going forward.
Word emerged earlier this week that the Commanders were not planning to place a restricted free agent tender on kicker Jake Moody, which would have made him an unrestricted free agent next week.
But now, Moody isn’t going anywhere.
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Moody has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Washington for 2026.
Moody, a 49ers’ third-round pick in 2023, ended the 2025 season with Washington. Appearing in six games for the club, Moody connected on 10-of-11 field goals and 10-of-11 extra points.
San Francisco waived Moody after he missed a pair of field goals in Week 1. He kicked in two games for Chicago before making his way to Washington late in the year.
In his 40 career games, Moody has made 78.0 percent of his field goal attempts and 97.3 percent of his extra points.
The 49ers are hiring Kent State offensive line coach Angel Matute, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.
Matute’s role with the team is not specified, but offensive line coach Chris Foerster lost his assistant, Cameron Clemmons, who was promoted to the tight ends coach.
Matute began his coaching career as an offensive assistant with the University of Missouri in 2021. He participated in the 49ers’ Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship in 2024 before serving as an offensive analyst and assistant offensive line coach at Purdue.
Matute joined Kent State in 2025.
The 49ers are adding an experienced defensive coach to their staff.
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, Matt Eberflus is joining San Francisco as the club’s assistant head coach of defense.
Eberflus fills the role vacated by Gus Bradley, who followed former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to Tennessee.
Eberflus, 55, was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator in 2025 after serving as Bears head coach from 2022-2024.
The 49ers hired Raheem Morris to be their defensive coordinator to replace Saleh.
