49Ers’ Receiver Plans Rekindle Old Feud With Mike Evans

WHO:

Heavy NFL - The San Francisco 49ers acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Indianapolis Colts.

SFGATE - Allen was with the Chargers when he criticized the NFL Top 100 rankings; Mike Evans was among the players he tagged.

SFGATE - Allen also tagged Tyreek Hill and Chris Godwin, but tagged the wrong Chris Godwin.

SFGATE - Evans and Allen later played for teams that included, respectively, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chargers.

SFGATE - Tom Brady led the Buccaneers team that won the Super Bowl.

SFGATE - The article identifies Mike Evans as a 49ers wide receiver and says he spoke at a news conference after a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.

WHAT:

Heavy NFL - The 49ers traded a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Colts for Allen, adding him to their receiver room.

Heavy NFL - The article said it remained uncertain whether the acquisition would meaningfully help the 49ers, whose wide receiver room had been depleted by injuries.

SFGATE - Allen objected to being ranked No. 77 on the NFL Top 100 list and wrote: “ARE NOT a better reciever than me! Faster than me…every day of the week but separation..CHILD PLEASE!”

SFGATE - Evans replied: “You tagged the wrong Chris Godwin lol and don’t be mad at us we ain’t make the rankings or care about em,” and “I like the confidence but be realistic you not on my level bro.”

SFGATE - Allen did not respond to Evans; he followed up with: “IM THE BEST WR IN THE AFC WEST!!! Without question!!!”

SFGATE - Evans recorded 70 receptions for 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns that season. Allen recorded 100 receptions for 992 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games.

NY Post - The 49ers’ receiver room might require coaching adjustments after the trade.

WHERE:

SFGATE - The 49ers are based in San Francisco; the news conference cited in the article took place in Seattle.

SFGATE - Allen described himself as the best wide receiver in the AFC West.

WHEN:

Heavy NFL - The trade occurred on Tuesday ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

SFGATE - The social-media exchange followed the NFL Top 100 ranking in 2020; Evans’ reply was posted on July 27, 2020.

SFGATE - Allen had been ranked No. 38 the prior year.

SFGATE - The cited news conference followed a Seahawks game on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.

WHY:

SFGATE - Allen said he was upset about being ranked No. 77 and believed the players he tagged were not better receivers than him in separation.

SFGATE - Evans said he and the other players did not make the rankings and did not care about them.

HOW:

SFGATE - Allen criticized the ranking in a tweet and tagged players he believed he was better than; Evans answered in a reply.

SFGATE - The 49ers acquired Allen by trading a 2027 sixth-round pick to Indianapolis.

San Francisco acquired receiver Keenan Allen from Indianapolis, trading a sixth-round pick. The move bolsters an injury-depleted receiving corps, though its impact remains uncertain. Allen once challenged his NFL ranking, prompting Mike Evans to say he wasn’t on Evans’s level.