Overview
- General manager John Lynch said Evans has an adductor issue, has been working on the side, and the team hopes he will return to full practice early next week.
- The new projection moves Evans' timeline past the earlier optimism from coach Kyle Shanahan that he could practice the prior week.
- Evans' limited on-field reps mean he could enter the season opener with little practice time with quarterback Brock Purdy, which would constrain how much the 49ers can reasonably use him.
- The team has not said Evans aggravated the injury and has not ruled him out for the opener, and organization sources expressed continued optimism about his availability.
- Evans joins a 49ers receiving room already thinned by injuries and arrives after a 12-year Buccaneers career, so his readiness will affect play-calling, target distribution, and the workload for other receivers on the trip to Melbourne.