News Article
Published
Oct 15, 2026 at 09:57 PM EDT
Ross and Rachel. Stephen King and Mike Flanagan. The Tennessee Titans and the loss column.
Genuine chemistry is not easy to find, let alone keep, but one team’s chemistry between their quarterback and wide receiver is making ripples throughout the NFL. And they’re only played a handful of games together.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Mike Evans have only been paired for the first five weeks of the 2026-27 season, but it seems like they’ve been playing ball together since middle school --- and that only surprises head coach Kyle Shanahan slightly.
When asked about the speed of their easy chemistry prior to Thursday’s practice, he admitted he was only “a little bit” surprised, NBC Sports reported.
“I mean, yes and no,” Shanahan said to reporters. “Mike has been so obviously that good to anybody who watches him and especially to me watching him over the years. He’s always been right there as the best and some people can match with him, but he’s just such a first-ballot Hall of Famer. To get him here, just things that we weren’t used to doing as much not having a guy like him.”
The coach recalled explaining to Purdy that there will be times where Mike will just know what to do and get it done.
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“I remember saying to him a ton, like, ‘this can be really important that you two have a lot of 1-on-1. You guys do that stuff a lot because that’s just about you guys talking to each other.’ Each one’s going to be different. It’s not like coach talk and telling you, ‘hey, it’s going to be at this yard line or this hitch.’ It’s stuff you guys have just got to get used to each other.”
It was reported on Thursday that Evans missed the day’s practice due to Achilles soreness along with suffering from two broken ribs.
The 49ers face off against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.