Micah Parsons Calls Mike Evans the “Derrick Henry of WRs”

Despite turning 33, WR Mike Evans is still racking up elite WR1 numbers with the San Francisco 49ers.

Micah Parsons Calls Mike Evans the “Derrick Henry of WRs”

(L) Derrick Henry and (R) Mike Evans (Image via IMAGO)

Injuries cut short Mike Evans’ final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He caught 30 passes for 368 yards and 3 touchdowns. So, not much was expected from the 33-year-old when he signed with the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason. In fact, many analysts argued Evans moved for a fat cheque.

Evans signed a three-year deal worth up to $42.4 million with the Niners. Evans has appeared in all five games. He’s six catches short of equaling last year’s tally. He has 24 receptions for 326 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Green Bay Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons compared Evans to All-Pro running back Derrick Henry on Bleacher Report’s Edge podcast. Parsons drew parallels between the two players as they continue to defy the odds to deliver elite numbers despite their age. Parsons said:

[The 49ers] feed him where he’s good at. Week one or two, they had the sideline cam[era], he was like, ‘throw that [jawn] up to me in the endzone.’ They threw it up… He was like, ‘man what [did] I tell you all?’ Where it matters the most one on one and it’s Mike against whoever… He’s the Derrick Henry of receivers.

Per Scott Pianowski of Yahoo Sports, Evans has played a modest 59.2% of the offensive snaps this year. However, the All-Pro wideout has drawn a pass on 34% of his routes, the fourth-highest rate among qualified pass-catchers in the league (Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Zay Flowers).z

The Buccaneers drafted Evans 7th overall in 2014. He caught 866 passes for 13,052 yards and scored 109 touchdowns in 176 games with the Bucs. He became only the second receiver to record 1000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons (matching HOF Jerry Rice). Evans won a Super Bowl in 2020.

RELATED
Top 3 NFL MVP Favorites After Week 5 – Feat. Brock Purdy

Micah Parsons reacted to Mike Evans’ viral exchange with Trevon Diggs

In Week 5, the 49ers played the Seattle Seahawks. Evans dominated the Seahawks secondary, comprised of Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori, and Trevon Diggs.

Micah Parsons Calls Mike Evans the "Derrick Henry of WRs"
Mike Evans (Image via IMAGO)

Cameras caught an exchange between Evans and Diggs after the Pro Bowl corner trash-talked near Evans’ helmet. A curious Evans looked at the Seattle player’s back to find it was Diggs.

Parsons felt bad for Diggs, his former Dallas Cowboys teammate. Parsons said:

That jawn’s a walking gif now. I almost had to message my dog, like, ‘Yo, don’t ever let somebody do this again.’ Like, I would have just [thrown] hands, just to make the clip go away… Forget the foul. You’ve got to fight for your respect.

Reporters asked Evans about the exchange. Initially, Evans didn’t recognize Diggs through his helmet, so he chose the next best option. Evans said via KNBR:

I think I like pushed him, and then I was like, ‘Who are you?’ And I looked to make sure, and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s [expletive] Diggs.’ And then he pushed me. It should have been a penalty. But yeah, I mean, it is what it is.

The Cowboys drafted Diggs and Parsons one year apart. Diggs was drafted 51st overall in 2020, and Parsons was taken 21st overall in 2021.

Both won multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections during their time in Arlington. The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers in the 2025 offseason. The Cowboys released Diggs after 8 games during the 2025 campaign. He joined Parsons in Green Bay but made just two appearances. He signed with the Seahawks in August 2026.

Also Read: