Well, this isn't good.
49ers star wide receiver Mike Evans is being held out of the first Week 6 practice with a new injury. Along with his rib fracture, Kyle Shanahan revealed that Evans is out with an Achilles injury.
Shanahan said Evans was dealing with soreness and that there isn't any significant concern about it. However, anytime you hear Achilles being associated with a player, it's difficult not to worry.
Evans is coming off a big-time performance with big-time usage against the Seahawks. He's four days removed from the game. Yet he's still feeling soreness in his Achilles.
It's smart of the 49ers to hold out on Evans, which they'd probably do anyway since he has a rib injury. But now that he has an Achilles issue, it's something to keep a close eye on.
I'd guess the 49ers will keep Evans out of practice on Friday as well, then let him on the field on Saturday in a limited capacity.
That said, if Evans continues to feel soreness in his Achilles in a few days, they shouldn't play him against the Commanders on Monday night. It would be reckless of them to allow him to play.
An Achilles injury is no joke. I'm sure Evans will think he's good to go, but this is a case of protecting the player for himself. It doesn't matter if the 49ers are thin at wide receiver.
There's never a desperate enough scenario in a regular-season game for a player to tough out an Achilles issue. Saturday will be the biggest indicator of where he's at with it.
Evans wasn't the only player to be held out of Thursday's practice. Five other players were missing due to injury.
All five were the usual suspects: Nick Bosa (calf), James Thompson Jr. (ankle), Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Marques Sigle (ankle), and Garrett Wallow (hamstring).
On Monday, Shanahan insinuated that Bosa might play against the Commanders, but that doesn't seem likely anymore given his comments when he was asked about today.
It's safe to say that all of the players who were out of practice today, minus Evans, will not be active in Week 6. All eyes will and should be on Evans' status throughout the week.
If the 49ers have any doubt about his Achilles, they must hold him out no matter what.
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