Antitrust, shmantitrust.
Over the weekend, we reported that the candidates for a five-game 2026 package of standalone games included Netflix, YouTube, and Fox. The apparent winner is YouTube.
Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reports that YouTube and the NFL have “entered a long-form contract review” for the slate of games. This means they’ve reached a consensus as to the major terms, and that they’re hammering out the precise language of the contract.
The NFL had sent out an RFP that allowed the bidders to select five games from a broader menu of possibilities. It’s not yet known which games YouTube will get.
The options were believed to include the Week 1 49ers-Rams game in Australia, a Thanksgiving eve game (which is not official but apparently inevitable), a second Black Friday game, and a Christmas Eve game.
The move comes at a time when the NFL is under increased scrutiny on the question of whether its broadcast antitrust exemption allows the league to sell games to streaming companies. If the games will be available for free on YouTube (as the Week 1 Chiefs-Chargers game from Brazil was), that will take a little steam out of the issue.
Still, the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 arguably applies only to league-wide rights sales to three-letter, FCC-regulated broadcast networks. The decision to take games that could have been broadcast on Fox and put them on YouTube won’t take any steam out of the current assault.
Last year’s Friday night game on YouTube averaged 19.7 million viewers globally, despite being made available at no charge. That was objectively disappointing.
Wide receiver Mike Evans will have a new number to go with his new uniform in 2026.
Evans wore No. 13 for all 12 of his seasons with the Buccaneers, but he will be making a change now that he is playing with the 49ers. Evans told teammate Fred Warner on Warner’s Real Ones podcast that he will wear No. 5 for the NFC West team.
Fanatics is selling an Evans 49ers jersey with No. 5 on it, although they include a note that the jersey will not be shipped until the number is confirmed.
A new number was expected because 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has worn No. 13 for his entire NFL career. Wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson wore No. 5 for the Niners last season and remains on the roster. He will presumably have a new number for the 2026 season and may have gotten some incentives from Evans in order to make the switch.
The Buccaneers had six captains in 2025. It was the 12th season for wide receiver Mike Evans to wear the “C” on his jersey and the ninth for linebacker Lavonte David.
Evans left for the 49ers in free agency, and David retired.
It has raised the question of who will step up into leadership roles to replace them.
General Manager Jason Licht is not concerned, with Baker Mayfield, Tristan Wirfs, Vita Vea and Antoine Winfield all returning.
“I feel strongly about this group of guys and the leadership that we have, starting with the quarterback,” Licht said Wednesday, via the team website. “We have got Tykee [Smith], Calijah [Kancey], the entire offensive line, Bucky [Irving]. God forbid I leave out Vita. He’s been around for a long time, but in his own way, he has a lot of leadership. I think some of the players that we added with Alex [Anzalone] and Kenneth [Gainwell] and Miles [Killebrew] and I think all of those guys have been really good leaders so that will help supplement what we have.”
The Buccaneers will announce their captains before the start of the season.
Mike Evans will be the best wide receiver with whom Christian McCaffrey has ever played. The Pro Bowl running back has never played with a Pro Bowl wide receiver, much less one who has built a Hall of Fame-worthy resume.
Last year was the first year of his 12-year career that Evans did not reach 1,000 yards receiving. His 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000-yard seasons to begin a career set an NFL record.
“I was so fired up, man,” McCaffrey told Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “He’s somebody that, if you’re a fan of football, you’ve watched his entire career, and it’s hard not to like the guy. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s somebody that, in my opinion, has never gotten enough credit, and I think he plays that way. He plays with a chip on his shoulder.”
Evans signed a three-year deal with the 49ers this offseason, leaving Tampa with 866 receptions for 13,052 yards and 108 touchdowns.
“He’s one of the best go-ball runners in the history of the NFL,” McCaffrey said. “He blocks his butt off. He’s mean, and he’s the perfect fit for our offense. I’ve just been such a fan of his from afar, and the way he plays football.
“And so now, to get to play with him, to pick his brain on a lot of stuff, I think that’s what I’m excited about—is to learn from him and kind of see what stuff he can bring to our team that maybe we need. And to have a guy like that who’s experienced the NFL at every level is super exciting. So, we’re so fired up to have him.”
McCaffrey will be the best running back with whom Evans has ever played. Doug Martin was a Pro Bowler in 2015, Evans’ second season, and the only Pro Bowl running back Evans has had.
The 49ers remain optimistic that they will come to agreement with left tackle Trent Williams on a revised contract for the 2026 season, but Williams won’t be on the roster forever and the team’s pre-draft work has included meetings with a couple of the top tackles in this year’s class.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Caleb Lomu and Kadyn Proctor both visited with the team recently.
Lomu started at left tackle for Utah the last two seasons and joins college teammate Spencer Fano as a potential first-round pick in next week’s draft. Proctor is also a left tackle and started at Alabama for the last three seasons.
The 49ers have the 27th overall pick next Thursday and moving up the board might be necessary to assure themselves of coming out of the first round with a potential starter on their offensive line.
