Mike Evans Dealing With New Injury Putting His Status in Jeopardy

Another week, another possibility of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans not being available for a game.

Evans was questionable ahead of the Week 3 matchup after he dealt with a hip issue the week prior. Then, he suffered a rib injury during Week 4, but returned the following week.

Now, ahead of the 49ers' Monday night primetime matchup versus the Washington Commanders, Evans could be questionable with an Achilles issue. Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Thursday that the receiver didn't practice as he dealt with Achilles soreness.

This is a new injury for Evans as it wasn't publicly known prior that he was dealing with any Achilles issues. And, Achilles injuries are no joke. Players miss entire seasons, and sometimes more, for tearing their Achilles. The 49ers may need to be cautious when deciding whether to play Evans on Monday night or not. The team hasn't officially determined Evans's game status for Monday.

The 49ers are nearing their bye week in two weeks, so it might be the best option to rest Evans until after the bye to make sure nothing worse happens with his Achilles, or any other injuries that have bothered him so far this season.

It of course isn't ideal to sit your best receiver for multiple games, but if it's better for the long-term, then it's the route to go. Evans has caught 24 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns despite missing some play time with injuries.

Evans's injury update came at a horrible time for the 49ers as the team will already be without receiver Deebo Samuel for a couple weeks with a hamstring strain. The team's next most targeted receiver is Demarcus Robinson, who is on the injured reserve list and isn't eligible to return for Week 6.

So, what will San Francisco do? The team could scramble and trade for Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., as one recent report stated, or at least look at the market for another receiver to add to the team.

Despite the continuous injury problems the 49ers seem to endure, the team remains undefeated at 5-0 so far this season. We'll see if they can keep the streak going on Monday without key offensive help.