49ers camp update: Mike Evans and rookie Kaelon Black miss Monday practice with strains

San Francisco’s offseason program is being tested by a growing list of lower-body issues, with two more key skill players set to miss Monday’s practice. Wide receiver Mike Evans did not take part in the session because of a quad strain, while rookie running back Kaelon Black also sat out with an adductor injury, according to Yahoo Sports’ report on the team’s availability.

The nature of the injuries matters for a team that is still trying to lock in roles and timing in early preparation. A quad strain can affect acceleration and route breaks, and an adductor injury can complicate lateral movement and power running, both of which are central to how teams evaluate skills in practice periods.

For Evans, the report frames the timeline as potentially wide-ranging based on the severity of the quad strain. Depending on how Evans’ condition is graded, he could miss anywhere from about a week to multiple months, a reminder of why teams often treat muscle injuries as day-to-day until they see how the strain responds to treatment.

Black’s adductor injury similarly creates an evaluation gap, especially for a rookie trying to earn trust in the running game and in pass-protection fundamentals. Because adductor problems can linger and can require careful progression back to full workload, missing even a single practice can slow a young player’s ramp-up during camp.

The 49ers will now have to adjust reps over the next few sessions, with other players likely absorbing additional work at receiver and in the backfield. In this stage of the year, the biggest practical impact is often less about one missed day and more about how missing practice time reshapes who is available for specific drills, red-zone looks, and situational work.

There is also an accountability component within a team-building cycle. When injuries affect multiple positions at once, coaching staffs typically look for redundancy in the depth chart and for clear readiness from the next man up, since the same lower-body strain that sidelines one player can force different personnel combinations that change how offensive plays are practiced.

What to watch next is simple: whether Evans’ quad strain and Black’s adductor injury progress quickly enough to return to full participation soon, and whether the team can stabilize its day-to-day availability at those positions. If either injury is viewed as more severe than first expected, the focus will shift from routine reps to managing workloads and protecting the players’ long-term health.

For now, Monday’s missed practice serves as another reminder that even teams with strong top-end talent rely on depth during training periods, and that the earliest weeks can quickly become a measuring stick for who can handle added opportunity when the injury report changes.