The San Francisco 49ers made one of the biggest moves during the legal tampering period of free agency, agreeing to a deal with wide receiver Mike Evans. But as several analysts lauded the 49ers for the signing, Colin Cowherd believes the move was questionable, at best.
Cowherd disapproved of San Francisco’s move to add Evans despite his accomplished background because the signing of the 32-year-old receiver makes its old roster even older.
“The 49ers truly believe age is just a number,” Cowherd said on FS1’s “The Herd.” “Last year, when Seattle and San Francisco played for the final time, the Niners were the oldest team and the Seahawks were the fifth-youngest team. Seattle blew their doors off. So, in a division with a very athletic, young on defense Rams, and the very young Seahawks everywhere, I don’t necessarily love adding a 30-year-old receiver who was banged up this past year.
“San Francisco’s got some players that are older than the trolley cars in the city. Guys, you gotta get younger.”
With the addition of Evans, the 49ers have 20 players over the age of 30, a mind-boggling number. Many of those players are either core pieces or solid contributors to San Francisco’s success as well, such as left tackle Trent Williams (37), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (34), tight end George Kittle (32) and now Evans (32). Even running back Christian McCaffrey is getting up there in age, turning 30 this offseason.
And the older you get, the more prone you are to injury. That was certainly the case for Evans last season. He missed nine games in 2025 due to injury, getting sidelined due to hamstring and collarbone ailments.
However, Cowherd noted that the risk comes with reward as well, hinting at the intellectual maturity that veteran players like Mike Evans bring. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system favors high-IQ players.
“Clearly, [49ers head coach] Kyle Shanahan loves the IQ of the veteran players. He doesn’t have to teach him,” Cowherd said. “[Evans] is a smart, reliable, productive veteran.”
But, in the NFL, “smart” and “reliable” are often the last virtues that a football team clings to before the floor falls out. And last season, those traits weren’t enough for the 49ers to keep up with their top division rivals. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl, while the Rams nearly defeated Seattle in the NFC Championship Game.
With the 49ers doubling down on their approach to add some veteran presence, Cowherd compared them to one of their Bay Area counterparts.
“In a division where the Rams and the Seahawks have two of the deepest, if not the two deepest, young and athletic rosters — the Niners remind me of the Warriors. They’re trying to keep the band together,” Cowherd said. “You watch the Warriors face the T-Wolves last year in the playoffs and it’s like, Steph Curry gets banged up, series over. I kinda feel like when I watch the Niners against the Rams or the Seahawks, they don’t have enough young athletes.
“The Warriors were like, let’s acquire Jimmy Butler and get some aging stars. Let’s keep the window. Then, suddenly, it’s not only not open, but you’re unwatchable if Steph Curry doesn’t play. If you move off Trent Williams, what happens if Christian McCaffrey gets banged up for a month?”
Ultimately, the Evans signing reveals Shanahan’s true mentality towards the upcoming 2026 season, as they’re looking to maximize their potential for the upcoming season. But Cowherd pointed to a team that recently took that approach and saw it bite them.
“Last year, remember when Washington fell off a cliff, one of the problems was … that all the old guys got hurt,” Cowherd said. “When old guys get hurt, it takes longer to recover. Mike Evans is a good red zone target, but Kittle, Evans, McCaffrey and Trent, I feel like, guys, you’re getting really old.”
