It wasn't pretty by any means, but the San Francisco 49ers got the job done against the Washington Commanders on Monday night, 23-17.
One reason the game got out of hand was that the 49ers were missing Mike Evans. He left the game with roughly two minutes left in the first half after hurting his Achilles on his third catch.
The 49ers wisely kept him out of the rest of the game. Evans dealt with Achilles soreness all week. That's why he didn't participate in any of the practices leading up to this game.
Evans will most likely miss Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, rendering the 49ers desperate at wide receiver. His injury has led 49ers fans to further advocate for a blockbuster wide receiver trade.
While I understand the sentiment, it's a complete overreaction to the situation after their Week 6 win. Yes, things have certainly changed a bit with Evans' Achilles injury.
The wide receiver position is in a desolate spot, causing a knee-jerk reaction from fans to advocate for the 49ers to make a trade.
However, as I explained in a previous article, the 49ers don't need a blockbuster wide receiver trade. All of the players who are currently hurt are not lost for the season.
If that were the case, then by all means, make a trade. It would be malpractice for the 49ers not to make something happen with a couple more receivers out for the year.
But they're getting all of these players back in a few weeks. What's the point of making a trade for a wide receiver now?
Let's say the 49ers executed a trade at this very moment. That receiver will need time to acclimate to the 49ers' offense, which isn't easy.
How long will that take? At least a few games, probably, right? By that time, the 49ers will have Samuel and Robinson back. Evans might be fully fit by then, too.
So, this idea of needing a receiver isn't sound. At that point, it's basically saying the 49ers never had adequate talent at the position outside of Evans.
Meaning, the 49ers didn't do a great job addressing the position in the offseason. You can point to injuries and even mention Ricky Pearsall.
But Pearsall has always been an injury risk, so his absence isn't a surprise or detrimental. Even Evans' injury is expected, given his age and the mileage on his body.
This is the risk the 49ers took and were willing to take. For the most part, it's been working out perfectly fine. They have more than enough to continue to soar on offense.
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