The San Francisco 49ers can't catch a break on the injury front. George Kittle is still working his way back from a torn Achilles. Christian McCaffrey recently missed multiple practices with muscle tightness.
Ricky Pearsall underwent season-ending knee surgery to repair a nagging PCL injury. And Christian Kirk hasn't practiced since late July with a calf strain. Meanwhile, Mike Evans has missed most of camp with injuries of his own — first a quad strain, and now a groin issue.
That's a lot of soft-tissue trouble this close to the season opener. But on Thursday, the 49ers got at least one piece of good news: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that Evans is planning to play Week 1 despite the injuries, and that the groin issue is considered minor. More news: Packers Reveal Contingency Plan for Possible Josh Jacobs Suspension Given the injury situation around him, Evans' availability will be a storyline worth watching all season.
With Kittle coming off a serious injury, Pearsall out for the year, and Kirk's roster spot in question, Brock Purdy may need to lean on Evans more than expected. Evans, 33, built a Hall of Fame resume in Tampa Bay — 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons, six Pro Bowl nods, and a Super Bowl title in 2021. Now he's looking to bring that success to a 49ers team that, for all its success under Kyle Shanahan, hasn't won it all since 1994.
More news: Falcons OC Weighs In on Tua Tagovailoa vs Michael Penix QB Battle More news: Raiders Coach Provides Cryptic Update on Ashton Jeanty’s Injury Second-round rookie De'Zhaun Stribling has turned heads in camp and played well through two preseason games, but he's still a rookie. With 30-year-old Deebo Samuel next in line, Evans figures to be the focal point of this passing attack. San Francisco opens the NFL season Thursday, Sept. 10, against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
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