Mike Evans is still dealing with a rib injury as the San Francisco 49ers listed him as questionable for Sunday’s Week 4 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Evans returned to practice on a limited basis Friday after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday with the rib injury he suffered during San Francisco’s Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan called the veteran receiver a game-time decision, but Evans made it clear he plans to push through the injury if he believes he can physically take the field.
“It’s my job,” Evans said. “I take pride in trying to suit up every chance I get. If the injury isn’t unbearable and you can’t play through it, then I won’t play. But if there’s something I can play through, I’m going to be there for my team as best I can.”
Evans said he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred, but he recalled turning while running a route before experiencing severe pain in his chest.
“That (expletive) hurt bad,” Evans said. “It was like non-contact. It might have happened before, but when I ran a route, and I turned, I just felt it, like, ‘Ah!’ Felt like somebody stabbed me in my chest. But it’s cool. The training staff and doctors did a good job of getting me off the field and making sure I was good.”
According to ESPN, Evans has already played through a rib injury before. Back in 2022, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he completed a game recording five catches for 54 yards against the Seattle Seahawks.
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Evans said some padding and extra warm-up time should be all he needs to deal with the injury on Sunday. He plans to use a compression shirt with built-in padding rather than a flak jacket.
“It was brutal to play through,” Evans said. “But it’s something that I can do.”
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Evans and the 49ers host the Broncos on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium at 4:25 p.m. ET.
