Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan wasn't content to leave the wide receiver position without improvements during the 2026 offseason. Just before free agency, Khan traded with the Indianapolis Colts for Michael Pittman Jr., but before their Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons, it already looks like the Steelers may have pursued the wrong receiver.
After 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Evans hit free agency and landed with the San Francisco 49ers. At 33 years old, fans were skeptical about how much gas he had left in the tank. Apparently, the answer is: more than enough.
Evans made his 49ers debut on Thursday in Australia. Despite it being his first game with a new team and quarterback, Evans raked in six catches on seven targets for 49 yards and a touchdown. Not bad for an oldtimer.
Just one game into the season, Evans already looks like he's going to have a massive role on offense as the team's number one receiver. And before Pittman even plays his first game with the Steelers, it's already looking like Khan may have made a costly mistake.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should have signed Mike Evans instead of trading for Michael Pittman Jr.
We can all agree the Steelers' trade with the Colts for Pittman didn't cost much in terms of draft capital. A late-round pick swap will be the difference in moving up a number of spots late on Day 3 of the draft. However, the Steelers took over Pittman's three-year, $70 million contract.
While the front office was able to lower Pittman's base salary to just $8.866 million for the 2026 season, this number skyrockets to $26 million and $24 million, respectively, over 2027 and 2028. Evans, meanwhile, signed a team-friendly three-year, $42.5 million deal with the 49ers that pays him just $14.1 million annually (compared to $17.5 million per year for Pittman), per Over the Cap.
But beyond getting a better deal—and not having to swap draft picks at all, as he was a free-agent signing—Evans is already proving that he's still the better player.
Going against a talented Rams defense in Week 1, Evans manhandled cornerbacks at the catch point, and his toughness was on full display. As a result of his impressive performance, Evans earned a 77.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in his 49ers debut ($). This was the highest grade on the Niners' offense and higher than Puka Nacua's 76.0 overall grade on the Rams.
Evans could have played the same role as Pittman in Pittsburgh. In his first game in 2026, Evans logged 21 passing snaps on the outside and six from the slot. This is a similar split to what we might see with Pittman on a per-game basis this year. Evans was also three for three on contested catches, and quarterback Brock Purdy earned a 135.4 passer rating when throwing in the veteran's direction.
This praise for Evans isn't a knock on Pittman. Over his career, Pittman has proven to be a respectable WR2. However, there are some obvious limitations in his game.
Despite his big frame, Pittman doesn't possess much juice or wiggle as a receiver. Thus, nearly everything feels like a contested ball underneath, and there isn't much room in his skill set to create yards after the catch. Pittman, who turns 29 in October, is four years younger than Evans. So, in theory, he should have a bit more longevity to offer.
But the Steelers already had the oldest roster in the NFL, and Mike McCarthy is hyperfocused on winning playoff games. Mike Evans still looks like a WR1, and pairing him with DK Metcalf would have been much more lethal for Aaron Rodgers and the offense this year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google