49ers' Evans, Samuel, Bosa ruled out; Kirk may return

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  Nick WagonerOct 23, 2026, 05:25 PM ET

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  Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- With a bye week coming soon, San Francisco 49ers receiver Mike Evans and defensive end Nick Bosa won't play in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons as they deal with Achilles tendinitis and a calf injury, respectively.

On Friday, the Niners ruled Evans and Bosa out against the Falcons after neither player participated in practice this week. In addition to Bosa and Evans, the Niners also ruled out wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring), linebackers Luke Gifford (groin) and Garret Wallow (hamstring) and safety Marques Sigle (ankle).

Coach Kyle Shanahan said that with so many missing players, the Niners are likely to enter Sunday's game with fewer than the maximum 48 players on the game day roster even after they make practice squad elevations on Saturday. They've had internal discussions with some of their players about further injuries forcing them to play out of position, according to Shanahan.

"I don't think ever in my career (has that happened," Shanahan said. "It's a unique situation."

Evans' absence creates an even greater need this week against the Falcons given the team's rash of injuries at receiver. The 49ers are already without Ricky Pearsall (knee), Samuel, De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) and Demarcus Robinson (ankle). One solution is the expected activation of veteran wideout Christian Kirk from injured reserve.

The 49ers released defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo on Friday, creating a roster spot for Kirk. While he's technically listed as questionable, Shanahan said that is procedural and Kirk is set to play against the Falcons. Kirk has been on injured reserve since the start of the season after injuring his calf in the opening days of training camp in July.

Kirk said Thursday that he's felt good since returning to practice last week and was looking forward to getting back in the mix, especially considering the attrition at receiver.

"Thankfully for me, I've played enough ball, I've played a lot of football and have got a lot of experience," Kirk said. "This week has just been treating every rep like a game rep... I know once I get out there on Sunday, if that's what the case is going to be, it's just like playing football again. I'm excited for that opportunity when it does present itself."

With Evans sitting out this week, it gives him an extra week to deal with the Achilles tendonitis that flared up before Monday's game against the Washington Commanders. San Francisco has a Week 8 bye after Sunday in Atlanta.

Before the Washington game, Evans didn't practice during the week but played and was on his way to a big performance before the Achilles flared up just before halftime.

Evans did not return to the game. He was in the locker room moving slowly on specialized shoes but did not participate in practice this week.

Bosa, meanwhile, had recently expressed optimism that he could return from his calf injury for the Washington or Atlanta games, but the Niners held him out of practice also, giving him additional time to recover.

"I just think he was a little too optimistic, especially for Bosa because he's pretty accurate," Shanahan said. "He doesn't say stuff like that unless it's accurate. I just think it surprised him. He worked out after he said that to you guys and the next day was just a little sore, which surprised all of us and that wasn't a great sign, especially going to playing turf and stuff this week."

The Niners have been without Bosa since before Week 3 against Arizona after he injured his calf during a walkthrough. San Francisco's available edge rushers against the Falcons include Mykel Williams, Romello Height, Keion White and Khalid Kareem with the possibility that Okoronkwo could re-sign to the practice squad on Saturday and elevated for Sunday against the Falcons, though the Niners also have needs at receiver and linebacker.

Cornerback Upton Stout (shoulder) and safety Siran Neal (neck), meanwhile, returned to practice on Friday after missing the previous two days and are questionable for Sunday.