When George Kittle named Mike Evans as “one of my favorite players of all time,” the tight end wasn’t joking. As it turns out, a shiny new contract wasn’t the only thing bringing Mike Evans to the 49ers, but rather a little convincing from the 6’4″ TE that led to this change. While the decision is a no-brainer for the newly signed wide receiver, 49ers’ George Kittle revealed how he became one of the best salesmen in the NFL.

“One of the biggest things I said [to Mike Evans] is that the Niners organization puts so much money back into the players and like how they take care of us, how we travel, how we like how our facility is ran,” Kittle revealed on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast on March 17.

Kittle highlighted how the 49ers’ ownership invests directly in the players’ daily lives. Be it from meals served seven days a week, to nutrition support, to travel arrangements, to recovery perks. It’s all covered by the franchise. 

“[Principal owner Jed York] does such a good job of putting money back into the team so that we can be at our best,” Kittle added.

Kittle’s words weren’t just a bait to bring Mike Evans to Santa Clara. They hold every bit of truth as revealed by the NFL Players Association. 

Now, if we compare the 49ers’ report card to the Bucs, it’s clear why Mike Evans signed with the team. The Buccaneers ranked 29th in the same report card.

The ranking marked a consecutive season in which the franchise scored low in player satisfaction, with a drop in nine of the eleven categories compared to the previous season. 

That was the organizational culture Mike Evans called home for 12 years. No wonder Kittle’s pitch landed so hard.

“I just think our organization is ran like an NFL team is supposed to. If you ask a 10-year-old kid like, ‘What would you expect an NFL team to do?’ We do all that plus more,” Kittle added on the podcast.

But Kittle did not stop at perks and amenities. He also sold Evans on the locker room culture.

​“We have a fantastic culture. Like, you’ve probably played on teams before that you’re like, I couldn’t stand like 10 guys on the team. The last five years there’s maybe been like one guy I’m like, ‘Ah, he’s not my favorite, but like I don’t hate him,'” Kittle further revealed on the podcast.

That was how Mike Evans made up his mind to head to Santa Clara. But while Kittle was a major driving force, Evans did not arrive at this decision blindly; he had already done his homework.

​Mike Evans did the math, and the Niners made perfect sense

Evans signed a three-year, $42.4 million deal with the 49ers. That deal includes a $12 million signing bonus and a base salary of $1.3 million, carrying a cap hit of $4.25 million in 2026. And before he said yes, he had already run through his list of options with careful deliberation.

“I did my research on a lot of teams that I was looking at… Here, the Buffalo Bills, teams that needed a number one wide receiver. I like this place, this is my number one spot on my own. And then I talked to John [Lynch] and Kyle [Shanahan], and it solidified it for me. I’ve always been a fan and he just talked about how he sees me in this offense, and it just made me even happier. It was a no-brainer, really,” Evans said after signing with the team.

Leaving Tampa Bay after 12 seasons was not easy for Evans. And he has been clear that money had nothing to do with it. His agent, Deryk Gilmore, confirmed as much, stating that Evans was simply looking for a new challenge and an opportunity to finish his career on a high note. And the 49ers, with Brock Purdy leading the offense, fit that description.

Purdy, since being drafted, has led the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and guided them to the divisional round last season, even with a receiving corps decimated by injuries. Evans ran those numbers, looked at what this team had done with far less at receiver, and made his call.

The WR also mentioned how he had talked to most of the players already and knew most of them from the Pro Bowls as well.

“I had talked to most of the guys already on the team. Great players, great dudes. I knew a lot of them from Pro Bowls and you know just seeing them around the league after the game.”

And Kittle, of course, made sure the decision was an easy one.

“George was the biggest salesman. George sold it big time, and he’s a big reason why I’m here, just because the type of player and teammate that he is,” Evans added.

The receiving situation in San Francisco last season was a genuine crisis. Injuries wiped through the roster, and Christian McCaffrey was the only skill position player who started all 17 regular-season games. Now, with Evans in the fold, the 49ers are adding a receiver who has eclipsed 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons.