Evans Inactive as 49ers Host Raiders

Mike Evans is officially out. The San Francisco 49ers listed the wide receiver among their inactives for Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. ET game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., NFL.com’s Week 9 inactives report showed. What had been a week of caution is now a line through his name on the late-window list.

Evans is sidelined with ribs and Achilles injuries. San Francisco had already ruled him out on Friday’s final injury report, and Sunday’s inactive designation made it official. General manager John Lynch said earlier in the week the club hopes to get him back in the coming weeks, a timeline that points more toward next Sunday against Dallas than any late surprise today.

A Thinned Receiver Room

Deebo Samuel Sr. is also inactive with a hamstring injury, so the 49ers are without both Evans and Samuel against the Raiders. San Francisco also placed Christian Kirk on injured reserve Saturday with a knee injury, another cut into an already short wide receiver group.

The 49ers moved to fill the gaps on Saturday. They activated Demarcus Robinson from injured reserve and elevated KhaDarel Hodge from the practice squad. Robinson had been out since Week 2 with an ankle injury and had his questionable designation removed ahead of Sunday, so he is available. Hodge is up from the practice squad for the same reason: San Francisco needs bodies who can run routes.

How We Got Here

Evans’ Achilles issue first cropped up in Week 6, and the official report now lists him with both ribs and Achilles injuries. Once Friday’s report had him ruled out, the only remaining step was the Sunday inactive list, and that step is now done.

Lynch’s “coming weeks” comment is the clearest guide for what comes next. The 49ers visit the Cowboys in Week 10, and that is the first realistic date to watch, not a hope that he warms up and plays this afternoon.

The Rest of the Inactives

San Francisco is also without quarterback Kurtis Rourke, offensive lineman Enrique Cruz Jr., linebacker Tatum Bethune and defensive lineman Khalid Kareem. The focus for anyone filling out a slip, though, is the receiving corps. Evans and Samuel are both down, Kirk is on injured reserve, and Robinson and Hodge are the names the club added to the mix.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean toward Demarcus Robinson seeing targets against the Raiders now that he is back from injured reserve, with KhaDarel Hodge also elevated from the practice squad. Evans and Samuel are both inactive, so the throws that would have gone to those two have to go somewhere among the receivers San Francisco actually dressed.