NFL analyst projects 49ers WR will fall short of big milestone in 2026

The San Francisco 49ers clearly needed to add at least one talented wide receiver to their room this offseason with Jauan Jennings set to leave in free agency and Brandon Aiyuk likely departing one way or another.

With that, the 49ers signed both Mike Evans and Christian Kirk early in free agency, bringing in a pair of wideouts who have had success in the NFL for Brock Purdy to throw to in 2026.

Evans has been the better of the two in his career, making six Pro Bowls and catching 866 passes for 13,052 yards and 108 touchdowns. He had an incredible 11-season stretch of 1,000-yard seasons, which tied 49ers legend Jerry Rice, that ended last year due to injury.

Now, heading into 2026 with a new team, ESPN's Mike Clay believes that Evans will fall short of 1,000 yards again. In his projections for the upcoming year, Clay has Evans catching 57 passes for 911 yards and six touchdowns.

While that would definitely be an improvement over his 2025 campaign (30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns) and would really help San Francisco's offense, it would be a little disappointing for Evans not to reach the 1,000-yard mark again.

The 49ers are hoping that the addition of Kirk and second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling, as well as the health of Ricky Pearsall can help make up for some slower games for Evans as he turns 33 this year.