49ers Star George Kittle Makes Bold Statement About Mike Evans

San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle has been quarterback Brock Purdy’s best friend for the better part of the past four years.

Kittle doesn’t mind sharing targets with Mike Evans, who surprisingly left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency to sign with San Francisco in March.

In fact, Kittle is thrilled by what he’s seen from Evans so far.

“Mike Evans, I learned, he doesn’t usually go to OTAs, and he showed up to his because he’s in a new offense for the first time in 12 years,” Kittle told Kay Adams on “Up & Adams” this week. “He cooks everybody. He was cooking everybody. Don’t care who it is. You can’t just cover him 1-on-1, really. He’s gonna win almost every single time. Him and Brock, like, immediately established a rhythm, which was really fun to watch.”

“Everything he does is just such at a high level of professionalism,” Kittle said. “You don’t always see it from a 13-year wide receiver who has put 1,000 yards in, what, 11 out of 12 seasons? You don’t always see that. And so, he came in, and everybody’s just so happy with Mike, and he’s awesome.”

Kittle was correct, by the way. On the final play of the 2024 season, Evans joined Jerry Rice as the only two receivers in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in 11 straight seasons.

Evans’ streak came to an end in 2025, as he broke his collarbone in the Bucs’ Week 7 loss to Detroit. Therefore, he was limited to a career-low 30 catches for 368 yards in eight games in what would be his final season for the only franchise he’d ever known.

Kittle, meanwhile, is recovering from suffering a torn Achilles in the 49ers’ NFC wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 11. The two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler told reporters that he’s “on track” to take the field for the 49ers in Week 1.

San Francisco will open its 2026 season against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 7:59 PM.