Evans a Long Shot for Week 10 as Achilles Tendinitis Lingers, Garafolo Reports

The San Francisco 49ers could be without Mike Evans for more than just this weekend. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said Sunday that the veteran receiver is a long shot to return in Week 10, as the Achilles tendinitis that has already cost him one game continues to linger.

"He is not going to play today [against the Las Vegas Raiders], and I would say he's questionable at best for next week's game as well," Garafolo said. "We'll see how the week goes there. He is improving, he is working his way back, but [49ers running back] Christian McCaffrey dealt with this a couple of years ago so the 49ers know how painful and debilitating it can be."

That last comparison is the one that will worry San Francisco most. McCaffrey's own Achilles tendinitis in 2024 was badly mishandled at first, and the 49ers are determined not to repeat the mistake. Evans, 33, has not returned to practice since the injury flared up late in the first half against Washington, when he left the game and did not come back. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has indicated the team will have to manage the ailment for the rest of the season.

It is a frustrating turn for a signing that has paid off when Evans has been on the field. He joined San Francisco this year and has been productive in six games, catching 27 of 39 targets for 420 yards and three touchdowns. He had 113 yards and a score in Week 5 at Seattle, and 94 yards on just three catches against Washington before the Achilles forced him out. He has played through plenty already this season, including a rib injury suffered in Week 3, but the Achilles is a different kind of problem — one that does not heal by toughness alone.

The timing could hardly be worse for the receiver room. Deebo Samuel is out with a hamstring injury and Christian Kirk has been placed on injured reserve with a knee problem, leaving the 49ers desperately thin at the position. Veteran Demarcus Robinson is set to come off injured reserve after recovering from a high ankle sprain, and he will join Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Brandin Cooks as the only healthy receivers available to quarterback Brock Purdy for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

The 49ers are 6-1 and chasing the NFC West, so the temptation to rush Evans back will be real — but the logic of resting him is just as strong. If he sits out next week's trip to Dallas as well, the team can give the Achilles a proper chance to settle before the stretch run and the postseason, where San Francisco will need him most. For now, though, the picture is simple: the 49ers' best outside threat is out this week, and in doubt for the next one too.