Kittle has already seen the impact firsthand. Evans reportedly stood out during organized team activities (OTAs), showing that he remains one of the NFL's most reliable pass catchers despite entering his 13th season.
Appearing on the New Heights podcast with brothers Jason and Travis Kelce, Kittle praised Evans' veteran presence and football IQ.
"One thing that I was talking to Purdy about a couple of days ago was that this is our first veteran wide receiver since we had Emmanuel Sanders," Kittle said. "Like, I had Deebo [Samuel], I had [Brandon] Aiyuk, but they were both like years one through four—Deebo was like year five.
"But Mike Evans is a guy, like, just watching him and his savviness—you know the concept, you have coverage in the red zone, one guy has the corner, the other guy has the 'now' route underneath it—and the way he sets it up versus a defender with outside leverage and then just gets wide open, and I'm just like, 'It's so fun to watch.'"
Evans surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 11 NFL seasons before falling short of the milestone in 2025 while battling injuries. Now with the 49ers, the veteran hopes to add a second Super Bowl championship to his Hall of Fame résumé.
"Just so savvy," Kittle added. "Catches everything, runs great routes, gives great effort. I'm all-in on Mike Evans."
Despite being ravaged by injuries in 2025, the 49ers still finished fifth in the NFL in passing offense. The team is counting on Evans to help elevate an already potent aerial attack as it looks to excel in a competitive NFC West this season.
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