Mike Evans - WR, 49ers Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-07 | Full transcript (primary source).
Mike Evans spoke at a press conference for the San Francisco 49ers on September 7, 2026, addressing the team's preparations and experiences as they approach the upcoming season. During the conference, he shared insights about his transition to the team and his impressions of the new environment and teammates.
Transcript
Evans: The younger me would have said yes, but now I just learned to enjoy whatever happens happens I mean, this is a great opportunity for us looking back on this we'll be able to say we played and I'll show you the first team to play and That'd be cool. It's been great so far. The Niners and the NFL has made it very convenient for us. And uh, It's been great Interesting thing that the food is good. I thought the food was gonna be bad, honestly, but it's been it's been pretty good.
Evans: All right, mate That's all I got honestly, but I do love me and my wife watch little bother in Australia a lot and we love the accents It's feeling pretty good. I Love it here. Honestly, I love it. I know I've been I was in a different place for a long time But it feels good. The transition has been really good for me. I love my teammates and I love the staff that we have.
Evans: The new corners they got some really good players. They got paid for a reason. I played against Three thirty-five before when he was a rookie. He was good back then He's gotten better that I've seen on film and McDuffie. He's a hell of a player So I've got to come out and be fast be physical and try to win those matchups.
Evans: It was easy. I thought the flight was gonna be extremely hard, but it was easy You know, we have fun on the flight. We got good rest and I think we're all pretty acclimated right now.
Evans: Yes Movies You know a couple card games board games everything He is a lot of all the receivers really are But you know since he's not on special teams, you know, we do extra work together before daring and after practice He's gonna be a great player and he's gonna help us out a lot this year.
Evans: Just I mean y'all saw a snippet of it in a preseason, but he's a ultimate playmaker. He's physical. He's tough great hand It's really smart and he's low maintenance Whatever he wants to be I'm sure he can he has a skill set to do do it all so He won't be limited in any capacity. He'll be able to play wherever he wants.
Evans: Well, I'm new George for a while now. So everything that I've learned knew about him in the past is the same You know high high energy great teammate great person f------ Hall of Fame player You see how fast he's coming back. I mean if we have him out there, it's gonna be hard to beat us.
Evans: Yeah Well, nothing beats that college atmosphere I probably played in the Super Bowl played in big playoff games But that college atmosphere when it's a hundred thousand rowdy fans, it's hard to beat that. So that'll give us some extra juice Going in to start first game of the season. So I'm looking forward to it.
Evans: I mean we just we just watch the film that we have Obviously we watch the corners and the defensive backs that we're going against And we just do that, you know throughout the week And obviously we've had more time to prepare for him because it's the first game of the season So we just been watching a lot of film on those guys and you know What their defensive coordinators like to do in the past.
Evans: I Can't just pick one guy I'm gonna go with my guy street up I guess because he's in he's in my receiver room and I've seen him up close and personal and what he can bring to this team So Dejan Shriblin, he's a rookie. So Be on the cup.
Evans: Yeah, I think so and I think the training staff they did a great job working with me. I know I'm older player I've had Probably over a thousand practices and football practices in my life now So I know what I'm doing out there and they know what they're doing They did a good job taking care of me. None of my injuries were significant. So if it was a game week I wouldn't have missed any time.
Evans: Yeah Fred is another hall of fame player We have a surplus amount of talent on his team and I was there when Fred, you know had that horrible injury If they had him, they probably had a great chance to beat the books. He got hurt earlier in that game He's the ultimate game-worker ultimate leader Having him healthy. We always have a chance.
Evans: I Feel like I was just a great You know, I think Obviously, there's all the science and everything that our team did to make the decision that we made of coming out early But you know, ultimately, I think it's a mindset, you know, you got to come out and just know that you got to get to work right business trip and Making sure you're going to bed at the right time Staying up during the day and doing the things necessary to make sure you're ready to go by Friday.
Evans: I Love it. I love Australia. I love Melbourne even though it's spelled Melbourne. I've learned it's Melbourne and Love the people everybody's welcomed us with open arms. I know it's the weather has been a little Raining sunny, but you know, I like it. I think it's great. I think it'll make for a great game come Friday.
Evans: Yeah, you know, I can't really speak to how you know, the Rams are approaching it I can only speak to how we're doing it right? I think I'm happy with what we decided to do I'm happy with our progress up to this point, you know, the the the day of practice we had today and All the days leading up going into Friday, you know, I'm excited about it. I think we're giving ourselves the best chance to win on Friday.
Evans: You know not really I Just I don't know. I guess maybe it's a product of just feeling So great going into into camp going into this season, right? I haven't really had to think about my leg and everything that happened last year I've just been like acting as if it's it's the next one You know this game up coming up. It's the next one for me, right? and I don't know I don't know what those emotions will be at the day of the game, but I'm expecting it to be business as usual go out there be the best player I can for my team to ultimately get a win.
Evans: 1000% yeah, I don't know if I said that In the beginning of this training camp, but most definitely right I think that gave me so much confidence going into the offseason to just train like like normal Not worrying about you know the rehab of it all the the monumentous moment of that first practice of always back like now I already I did experience that you know in the playoffs like you mentioned, right? And everything that came with that so I think that definitely helps just ease the mind going into the next season.
Evans: Yeah, of course, I mean we don't want we want to make sure we put our best foot forward when we come out here I want to make sure that you know when we're walking around and we're we're part of the community that the people are seeing us They're they're excited about what we have going on I know there's been a ton of stuff in the community that our team is has done to try to reach out and be involved as much as possible and You know I think it's our job to put on the best put out the best product on Friday to To give the fans of Australia something to get excited about and see our sport in person for the first time.
Evans: We he's obviously one of the greatest of all time You know, they were already a stacked team to begin with but to have Aaron back You know makes them even that much that much better of a football team So, you know, I know our offense has their hands full with what they got what their defense has on their side of the ball But you know, it's our job to put the right plan together to make sure we're we're not letting them wreck the game.
Evans: Yeah, no for sure I mean I I remember that game vividly because that was just the game right before I ended up getting hurt but that was a big moment for us last year for our team and the moment that We walked into everybody doubted us going into that game not having a lot of guys available You know, Mack Jones your starting quarterback. Kendrick Bourne your lead receiver Nick Bosa was down. So, you know, there was a lot going against us that game and that was a huge win But don't look into this season, you know, it's a completely new new situation new teams You have similar faces familiar faces, but at the end of the day, man It's it's week one and everybody's trying to see what who you are in week one and nobody really knows You kind of have a sense based off of past performance. But you know, we want to kind of show where where everything lies.
Evans: I mean, the hope is that it's a sea of red. That's what the hope always is man The faithful, you know, in my opinion are the best fans in the world, you know, we always travel no matter the The situation where we're going whether it's in the States out of the States They've always shown love I'm hoping they they show a ton of love come Friday.
Evans: Um, but yeah, you know, I think that's the hope I guess it wouldn't matter who it was against but It does increase Probably the level of urgency and intensity of the game we you just have an understanding of what divisional matchups mean right in terms of like You know for the divin winning the division in the long haul and how important those games are especially in our division how competitive it is with You know, obviously the the reigning Super Bowl champs in Seattle and everybody, you know How stacked Rams are so I guess yeah, we're excited regardless though.
Evans: You know, I hope it just brings a greater following to the game, you know, the NFL and football is just such a beautiful game you know, I'm blessed to be a part of it and you know, I think it's our job to go out there and put the best product on the field that the fans could could really You know enjoy and be proud of and hopefully just grows the game even further.
Evans: You know, I didn't get to go out there to that game and watch But I did watch some clips on YouTube and it looked pretty intense You know anytime you got no pads on and you're just running full speed and hitting each other. It's like whoa It's kind of insane, but It seems like a lot of fun.
Evans: It's been great. Yeah, the Staff did such a good job giving us a great plan for you know traveling here in the first day first couple days back So they've done a great job. I think everybody feels pretty great.
Evans: Yeah, I mean I can't imagine it being more detailed than what they gave us there was you know Big packets on the plane different supplements to take at different hours different sleep Suggestions when to stay up during the day when to go to bed And so they kind of any questions you think you would have had they answered it in these packets and we're really prepared.
Evans: Yeah, it feels great man, it feels like it just feels like football's back You know whether wherever we are it's it's it's nice knowing that now we're playing, you know, real football meaningful football With a great bunch of guys.
Evans: Thank you Yeah, we're fired up man, it's this has been such a cool experience Obviously, there's a lot of question marks when you hear you're playing in Australia But since we've been here, man, it's been it's been so cool. The people are unbelievable the food's incredible the coffee's great the atmosphere you can already feel it and You know, it's just it's been a lot of fun. So we're super fired up. We're here.
Evans: I haven't been out in the city much to be honest with you. Yeah haven't I think I explored just around the hotel a little bit the first day and you there was definitely some Already which was awesome to see but I I probably I'm not the guy to ask.
Evans: Stadiums huge the fans are awesome and I think and I didn't go to it, but I saw videos and pictures and stuff and I think once you We felt it. That's for sure.
Evans: The toughest sport I've never played AFL so I can only speak for football but I Don't know I think I like our I like our sport It's not that I don't like the AFL you put me in a bind here. I just want to make sure.
Evans: Yeah, I think it's it's all about just getting your body in a good spot Just from the jet lag standpoint and you know travel fatigue all that so you got to be for me It's just about being really diligent with the recovery with the training, you know When you're eating when you're taking caffeine when you're not napping when you're napping so everything for me is just you know The mental part of it will come you had all week to get the game plan perfect But it's the physical part that you really got to be diligent about and I think again our staff's done such a good job with that.
Evans: Give me one sec It's the gel I didn't hit me that bad to be honest with you It was more the just how long you're on the plane Which you know, I think you get a couple days here you get that out of you But the from a jet lag standpoint I think if you if you went by the protocol that I think they talked to all the experts in the world on it and You know for us, it was it wasn't too bad.
Evans: Sorry Yeah, he's he's a he's a force man, he's such a good player has been his entire career and you know When you're going through the scouting report, you got to know where he is You got to know where 95 is but but their defense as a whole I think what makes him good is when they commit they play well together and obviously him being One of the focal points of that is, you know, somebody you definitely got a kind of plan for.
Evans: Yeah today it feels like we're back to a normal game week where You know, we kind of got all that other stuff out of us and we're ready to go.
Evans: That's a good question, I don't know probably no better after the game But I think one thing it's always weird when you go into a new stadium That's not a football stadium is, you know where the where the game clocks are Hearing calls, you know hearing audibles, you know regardless of noise That's all stuff that you'll adjust to during the game. But some of those challenges. I think would be more more pertinent.
Evans: I'm not sure about the wind I don't know. I don't know if we have a walk through there I know I think this is the same field surface that we're going to be playing on so we've had a couple days doing some Bonus practices where we can get used to the grass.
Evans: How on Fridays before games he would take a bunch of precautions with you guys and do a bunch of stuff to get you ready What was his reaction when he finds out that you're going to play in Australia?
Evans: He's fired up. I think I think when he was playing I know they played a preseason game in Japan I think they might have gone to Australia for a game, too. So You know, he's simple though He's there's nothing there's really nothing to talk about other than to hey enjoy the experience and when it's time to buckle down Buckle down and you know do all the things that they tell you to do.
Evans: Playing it at 1030 in the morning. Do you have to get your mind around that? American time so we technically afternoon for them, but for you is that a strange experience your morning routine changes?
Evans: No, not necessarily. We we've been practicing at 1030 all camp. So that's I think we're pretty used to that time now.
Evans: I think the Mexico game, I think that had a hundred thousand it's a lot of people now. We're so excited The second day we're here We adjusted pretty quickly. I think that first day staying up is important not taking a nap because that could have been dangerous, but second night.
Evans: Oh It's been great. Yeah, the coffees unbelievable. I don't know why nobody talked about that as much as they should have beforehand Coffee's been great foods. Awesome. The people are really nice.
Evans: Yeah, I mean it's it's been a really really cool experience for all of us.