49ers' Mike Evans will 'do my best' to suit up through painful rib injury

Cam Inman, Bay Area News Group on Oct 2, 2026

Published in Football

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mike Evans’ torrid start to his 49ers career has seen him …

a.) Make a touchdown catch and multiple third-down conversions in their opening win in Australia.

b.) Snare a Brock Purdy fireball in stride and take it to the 1-yard line in the home opener against Miami.

c.) Start a hook-and-lateral play on last Sunday’s first series, then later score his own touchdown with what Kyle Shanahan dubbed as “late hands” to dupe an Arizona cornerback.

d.) Leave that last game on a cart before halftime as his ribs throbbed in pain.

Five days later, Evans put on his sleek No. 5 jersey for a limited return to practice. He is questionable for when the 49ers (3-0) host the Denver Broncos (2-1) on Sunday.

Evans said he’ll “do my best” to suit up, and to do so, he stressed the need to warm up his upper-body, which would be protected by a padded compression shirt. He’s done so in the past, he said.

“I’m not going to do a flak jacket because that looks kind of weak,” Evans said. “… It’s not restrictive. That’s just some quarterback (stuff).”

Evans is unsure exactly when his injury occurred, but he knew darn sure when he first felt it. He had to take a knee after a third-down incompletion came his way 1:41 before halftime. “It might have happened before, but I ran a route, turned, and it felt like somebody stabbed me in the chest,” Evans said.

Shanahan can relate to Evans’ pain, having sustained three broken ribs along with a concussion and facial injuries in a two-car collision in July.

“Mine are good now. It’s been two months. I would not be questionable. I’d be out, without a doubt,” Shanahan said. ” He’s definitely a lot tougher than me, so he’s got a shot.”

The 49ers (3-0) have overcome injuries to other wide receivers — Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Demarcus Robinson — but Evans is different. He legitimately has performed to the Hall of Fame-caliber hype he came with as the Tampa Bay Bucs’ all-time leading receiver the past 12 years.

“He is old school in his mindset and he doesn’t want to miss,” general manager John Lynch said Thursday on KNBR 680-AM. “We’ll always do what’s right for our player. Mike will make every attempt and we’ll see where that goes.”

Lynch fractured a few ribs as a Pro Football Hall of Fame safety, and that goes for both his opponents and himself. “I did play with ribs on a few occasions. It’s not fun. It’s painful,” Lynch said. “It was better having the rib (injury) when you were doing the hitting rather than getting hit.”

Of all Evans’ highlights the first few games, his favorite is the hook-and-lateral that he caught on third-and-long and pitched to Deebo Samuel for an 80-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead. It came two snaps after Evans said he “got my bell rung a little bit” on a hard hit over the middle from safety Budda Baker.

“That was one of the coolest plays I’ve ever been a part of,” Evans said. “I’ve pitched it back before but never like a designed pitch back. It was a great call. Luke (Farrell) did a great job lead blocking then Deebo is a beast with the ball in his hands. … He did the hard part.”

Evans made his 23-yard touchdown catch on the next series look too easy with his delayed grab. “You see the ball coming, the DB is chasing you, I had a step on him, and then Brock threw a great ball right over his hands,” Evans said. “I just didn’t show my hands and it fell right in my belly.”

Bosa out again

Defensive end Nick Bosa will miss a second straight game because of a calf strain on his right leg, the same one in which he’s coming back from anterior cruciate ligament repair.

Bosa does not believe the injury will keep him out too long. The 49ers opted against adding him last week to a crowded Injured Reserve list. It will be interesting whether flying to Seattle for the Oct. 11 game would be detrimental to his recovery and thus push his return another week.

Other status reports

Left tackle Trent Williams (neck) is fully expected to play after leaving Sunday’s second half with a nerve stinger.

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quadriceps) and defensive end Keion White (hamstring) are questionable, as is rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger because of a shoulder injury from Thursday’s practice.

Defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. (high-ankle sprain) is out a second straight game. Defensive end Mykel Williams will also be out after returning to practice this week; he must miss a mandatory fourth game while on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Wide receiver Dante Pettis sustained a calf injury Thursday so he’s unlikely to come up from the practice squad.

The Broncos ruled out only linebacker Dondrea Tillman (hamstring) and did not give an injury designation for running back J.K. Dobbins (hip) or wide receivers Jaylen Waddle (foot) and Marvin Mims (foot).