49ers wide receiver Mike Evans, at 33, confident he hasn't lost magic touch

Mike Evans‘ white noise comes with dark magic. 

Every night, Evans falls asleep to the sounds of the Harry Potter movies playing on the television. 

The eight-film saga has little tranquility: Orchestral crescendos, wizarding duels, mythic creature roars and eerie lulls that would keep any regular viewer awake at night. But for Evans, watching Harry Potter battle Lord Voldemort helps the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver rest. 

Obsessed with the saga since his second grade teacher read the books to his class about 23 years ago, Evans has watched the films “at least 1,000 times,” he said. 

“It comforts me,” Evans said. “It just puts me in a calm state.”

It’s not just before bed that Evans incorporates Harry Potter into his life. On his calf is a tattoo of the main character with his best friends, Ron and Hermione. Near his elbow is one of the Deathly Hallows, a symbol key to the series finale. Evans’ 2016 wedding to his wife, Ashli, featured a five-tier cake decorated with all four Hogwarts houses and Hedwig the owl perched in his cage atop. Evans now is starting to get his four young children into the films and books.

Evans’ new 49ers teammates noticed that he brought his obsession to Santa Clara, too. 

“He’s been listening to Harry Potter books on Audible every single morning this entire training camp,” said tight end George Kittle. 

Evans, 33, doesn’t love the series because of the magic. He loves Harry Potter because of Harry: A kid who loses his parents, grows up with little, discovers his extraordinary talent and is humble despite his status as the chosen one in the wizarding world. 

“He’s living with his uncle and his cousin, and they treat him like s-. And he’s one of the greatest wizards ever. He’s super humble, competitive. … He’s never too big, even though he is f-ing Harry Potter, the chosen one,” Evans said. “So I’ve always tried to kind of mimic that.”

How does he emulate Harry?

“He’s just a chill dude, but then he has that fiery side. So I guess I’m kind of similar,” Evans said. “I’m not as great as Harry Potter, but I identify with him.”

Though Evans doesn’t draw the connection directly, there’s a striking similarity between him and the character he has admired for more than two decades.

Like the fictional Harry Potter, Evans endured the killing of a parent when he was very young. He has spoken about vindicating his father’s death on the football field growing up in Galveston, Texas, and at Texas A&M. 

Before coming to San Francisco, Evans spent the first 12 years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the first 11 seasons until an injury-ridden 2025. Only Jerry Rice has matched 11 seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards.

With 108 career touchdown catches, Evans ranks eighth all-time among receivers and 10th overall in NFL history. Los Angeles Rams receiver Davante Adams is the only other active player with more (117) to start the 2026 season. 

Evans was a top weapon for quarterback Tom Brady when he marched the 2020 Bucs to a Super Bowl win, the team’s first since the 2002 squad’s title. It was only right that Evans got to hoist the Lombardi Trophy there when for more than a decade his No. 13 jersey became an institution in Tampa. He owns the franchise record in receptions (866) and receiving yards (13,052).

Evans was spectacularly consistent until last year, when hamstring and collarbone injuries kept him sidelined for nine games. He finished with 30 catches for 368 yards. 

In free agency, Evans had a more lucrative offer to return to Tampa Bay, according to his agent, but wanted to go to a team that needed a No. 1 receiver. With Brandon Aiyuk missing in action and a crew of young receivers in tow, the 49ers were a logical fit and signed him to a three-year contract in free agency. 

“I call him Mike Evans, because I still can’t believe he’s Mike Evans and he’s here in the locker room. Pinch myself every day I see him,” Kittle said.

The deal is reportedly worth $42.4 million with incentives and just $16.3 million guaranteed. Evans is betting on himself within head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s offense.

Shanahan doesn’t need Evans to be the Tampa Bay version of himself, but for defenses to fear him. At 6-foot-5, 231 pounds, he has the speed and physicality that profiles as an ideal target in the 49ers red zone alongside Kittle, capable of turning a good red zone offense – 33 touchdowns with a 69.3 completion rate in 2025 – into something spectacular. 

“Obviously, he’s known for his offensive prowess, but just the way he gets guys open and favorable matchups, the way he can free up a guy like myself who gets a lot of cloud coverage and double teams,” Evans said of Shanahan.

Evans’ gravity could improve a 49ers run game and give Christian McCaffrey space to maneuver that often was lacking in 2025. Sliding Evans on the outside could lure attention from the secondary, which in turn could lessen snaps where defenses are stuffing the box.

“I take a lot of attention away. That’s just what it is,” Evans said. “And if they don’t, then it’s one-on-one.”

Added Kittle: “I think that’ll help. Speed always helps, because the safeties have to play a little bit deeper.”

Evans’ first year away from Tampa, learning Shanahan’s style and playbook, has been somewhat simplified by Evans’ experience in a similar system. In 2024, he played for offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who having worked under Rams head coach Sean McVay comes from the same coaching tree as Shanahan.

“It’s super helpful. I’ve played with a lot of other guys who have a similar philosophy, who are smart offensively. Dave Canales (Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator in 2023) runs it a little bit differently, but I swear all the plays are kind of the same,” Evans said. “We have plays here where we have a lot of different options where the defense can’t guess as much. So that’s what makes Kyle really great.”

Evans is new, but his experience is much needed leading a wide receiver crew with returning Deebo Samuel, 11th-year player Demarcus Robinson and young guys De’Zhaun Stribling, Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing. 

This San Francisco team is older and, therefore, full of veterans at every position. The list includes Trent Williams on the offensive line, McCaffrey and Kittle, linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw and quarterback Brock Purdy. 

Evans isn’t one to keep his audiobooks headphones in, but he’s not a particularly vocal leader, either. He picks his spots, saying he doesn’t plan a big speech every day. He plays first, and leadership follows.

He was consistent with Tampa Bay while playing with six quarterbacks and four head coaches. He says there’s similarities in competitive fire between Brady and Purdy, but mostly he has noticed how different things are in San Francisco.

“This was one of the most competitive camps, if not the most competitive camp, I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “Everybody’s talking trash to everybody, and it’s good. It’s like, you know, iron sharpens iron. Everybody’s out there just going at each other, trying to make each other better and get each other ready for this long season that we’re about to have.”

He’s happy to be on the West Coast for the first time in his life, and admittedly surprised he likes it so much. It has been comfortable every day in California since he and his family moved out, he notes, remembering the one hot, humid Christmas in Tampa when he was so dehydrated that he needed an IV infusion.

“I used to hear about it all the time, but I was like, ‘Man, who gives a damn about the weather? ‘” he said. “And then I come here and I’m like, ‘Damn, like if I can add some years on your career, like for real.'”

For the 49ers, that’s the real risk with Evans: injury. He has missed several practices in training camp dealing with injuries to his groin and, more recently his adductor, general manager John Lynch told KNBR on Tuesday. Whether Evans will play the opener in Australia on Sept. 10 against the Rams is in question, though Lynch said Evans is expected to practice next week when the team arrives in Melbourne. 

“And if all goes well, he’ll be suiting up and making plays for us,” Lynch said.

This has been a recent trend for Evans. He missed nine games last season with the broken collarbone and hamstring injury, and another hamstring injury sidelined him for three games in 2024. As with any aging star, the risk is that his best years are behind him. 

If and when Evans suits up in 49ers gold, game day won’t include any Harry Potter. Sundays are full of music: Tupac, Lil Wayne, Phil Collins, ’80s rock, ’80s R&B, 2000s rap. That’s when it’s time to lock in. 

Every other day, Harry Potter anchors him. He plans to watch all the movies on the 16-hour flight to Melbourne. The story still reminds him of who he is – relaxes him, fires him up – all these years later. 

“I just look forward to one of the best years of my career, even though I’m a little bit older,” Evans said. “I don’t feel like I’m limited in any capacity.”

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This article originally published at 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans, at 33, confident he hasn’t lost magic touch.