Mike Evans didn't take part in the 49ers’ first Week 9 practice against the Raiders. He’s been dealing with Achilles tendinitis since playing the Seahawks in Week 5.

Evans aggravated his Achilles in Week 6 against the Commanders, forcing him to exit in the final minutes of the first half. He’s been out ever since. On Wednesday, Kyle Shanahan shared an update on Evans.

“I think we've made a lot of progress. I think he's going in the right direction,” Shanahan said. “It's something we’ve definitely got to be smart with, but we're not going to like overly do it. We just want to wait until he's healthy and he's still working his way to get there.”

It’s good to hear that Evans is making progress, and that they’re being cautious with him ramping it up. That said, the 49ers have an easy decision to make on Evans against the Raiders on Sunday.

Don’t play him. Don’t even think about it.

Resting Evans is the best course of action for the 49ers to take. Rather, it’s the only decision to make. They made the mistake of letting him play against the Commanders despite missing the entire week of practice for that game.

That should’ve convinced the 49ers to hold Evans out. Yet they allowed him to make the call. Instead of protecting the player from himself, they let Evans worsen his injury and miss time.

They must avoid making the same mistake. Achilles tendinitis is no joke. The 49ers know that injury all too well when Christian McCaffrey had it in 2024, and that was bilateral Achilles tendinitis.

Every step they take with Evans must be taken with extreme caution. He’s a critical part of their team. He’s the difference between the 49ers making and winning the Super Bowl or not.

Luckily, the 49ers are facing the pitiful Raiders. Don’t let their 4-4 record fool you. They may be better than the dumpster fire that they usually are, but they’re not a good team. 

Their defense is their Achilles' heel (no pun intended). The 49ers will be able to move the ball against them at will and put up a bunch of points without Evans. 

Brock Purdy should have no issue throwing for over 300 yards and a few touchdowns. He doesn’t need Evans against the Raiders. Let him rest so he can overcome Achilles tendinitis for good. 

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