Overview
- Kittle told reporters this week that Evans has made an immediate impression at 49ers OTAs with advanced route recognition and a pro‑level work ethic.
- Kittle said Thursday that Evans dominated red‑zone drills in practice, an anecdotal report that coaches have described as part of a plan to use Evans in one‑on‑one and scoring situations.
- Evans signed a three‑year deal in March after 12 seasons in Tampa Bay and reached out to Kittle before joining San Francisco, which Kittle says helped seal the move.
- Kittle is currently sidelined rehabbing an Achilles injury while Evans has been participating in team work, leaving health and consistent availability as the main open questions.
- The arrival of Evans reshapes the receiver room by adding veteran leadership and could shift targets toward Brock Purdy in the red zone, with wider effects on younger receivers such as Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.