49ers coach reveals plan for 'alpha' receiver Mike Evans

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said he did not receive any early indication that the team was closing in on signing veteran wide receiver Mike Evans in free agency. In fact, he learned about the move the same way fans and the media did.

"How'd I find out? The same way you guys did," Kubiak told reporters on Thursday. "It showed up on ESPN on that first day of free agency. We were ecstatic and fired up. Obviously, we had a plan. We evaluated him and had intentions to want to sign him, and we talked about it. But just to get it done was incredible."

The addition of Evans gives the 49ers a proven veteran presence in a wide receiver room that underwent significant turnover this offseason, with players like Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne departing, and Brandon Aiyuk also expected to move on.

Evans enters his 13th NFL season with a résumé that places him among the most consistent receivers in the league. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 seasons, only missing the milestone in 2025 due to injuries that limited his availability.

Kubiak also outlined how the 49ers plan to utilize Evans in Kyle Shanahan's offense, emphasizing his elite competitiveness and remarkable ability to beat defenders.

"I mean, he's a Hall of Fame wide receiver," Kubiak said. "He's a one-on-one match-up that you can take advantage of when he's on the field, and when he's got one-on-one coverage, you want to get the ball to Mike. You feel like he's going to win.

"He's about as competitive as they come. He's a guy who's going to win his match-ups, and it's just really cool to have that alpha type of player out on the field at that position for us again.

"And we're going to use him the way he's been used his whole career, and hopefully, get a few more things out of him, too, along the way, as we get him in our program."

Evans gives the 49ers a veteran leader who is a red-zone threat and can immediately play a major role in the offense.