Former Texas A&M star Mike Evans suffered a rib injury in San Francisco’s win over Arizona, creating concern after an encouraging start with the 49ers.
Former Texas A&M standout Mike Evans left the San Francisco 49ers’ 36-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday with a rib injury, putting another prominent Aggie in the NFL injury spotlight.
Evans was hurt during the first half after taking a hard hit and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The veteran wide receiver had entered Sunday already dealing with a hip injury that limited him during the week, but he was cleared to play after returning to practice Friday.
Before leaving, Evans caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown, including a 23-yard scoring reception from Brock Purdy.
The 49ers have not announced a definitive recovery timetable, and Evans is expected to receive additional evaluation as San Francisco determines the severity of the injury.
For Texas A&M fans, Evans remains one of the most recognizable former Aggies in the NFL.
The Galveston, Texas, native starred alongside Johnny Manziel in College Station and became one of the most dominant receivers in program history.
Evans started all 26 games during his two active seasons at Texas A&M. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, he caught 82 passes for 1,105 yards and five touchdowns, earning Freshman All-SEC honors.
He was even better in 2013.
Evans recorded 65 receptions for 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging an SEC-best 20.3 yards per reception among qualifying receivers. He earned first-team All-America and first-team All-SEC honors while becoming a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
Two performances remain particularly memorable.
Evans erupted for 279 receiving yards against Alabama and later broke his own school record with 287 yards and four touchdowns against Auburn.
That production helped make Evans the seventh overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft and launched what became one of the most productive receiving careers of his generation.
Now the attention turns to his health.
San Francisco improved to 3-0 Sunday, but the status of Evans will be an important storyline heading into the coming week.
For Aggies fans who watched him dominate SEC secondaries more than a decade ago, the hope is that Sunday’s injury proves to be a short-term setback rather than something more serious.
