The San Francisco 49ers enter the 2026 season with championship aspirations, believing they have a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl. Although the team finished third in the NFC West last season, it still earned a playoff berth despite injuries that ravaged the roster.

With better health in 2026, expectations are even higher.


"I think this is the year for the Niners," Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area this week at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe. "I certainly hope so. It's going to be up to those players to go out there and get it done."

The 49ers made several significant offseason additions, bringing in veteran wide receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk to bolster the offense, while adding defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and reuniting with linebacker Dre Greenlaw to strengthen the defense.

"I'm looking for the Niners to make a statement," Rice said. "They have a very good team now ... That statement is to win it all. Back in the day, it was not good just to get to the playoffs. We had to win the whole thing. And if we didn't win the whole thing, it was a disappointing season.

"So, it's going to be up to that locker room. It's going to be up to all those guys to come together as a cohesive group and start talking about this during training camp. Don't wait until the season. Let the guys know that there's high expectations, and let's go get it."

Jerry Rice on the impact of adding Mike Evans


Rice, widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, believes the addition of Evans could have a major impact on the 49ers' offense. The two have developed a relationship over the years and share a great deal of mutual respect.


Rice is one of only two players in NFL history to record 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. The other is Evans, who matched the feat during his first 11 NFL seasons before an injury-shortened 2025 campaign prevented him from surpassing the record.

"He's just such a good individual, and he works hard," Rice said. "And the players, they're going to get a chance to probably see a Hall of Famer. And he's going to work his butt off every day."

Rice also expects quarterback Brock Purdy to benefit from Evans' arrival. The veteran receiver gives Purdy a physically imposing boundary target and one of the NFL's premier red-zone threats.

"Just throw it up," Rice said. "Throw it up because he's got that big frame. He's going to be able to go up and attack the football. So, once you're in the end zone, just throw that thing up, like 'Alley-Oop' (R.C. Owens) back in the day. Just throw it up and let him go get it, and he's capable of doing that."

De'Zhaun Stribling can learn from Mike Evans


Along with signing Evans and Kirk, the 49ers used their top draft pick on wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, a rookie they hope can contribute immediately while developing into a long-term playmaker.


Rice believes Stribling couldn't ask for a better mentor than Evans.

"They said, this guy, he's big, he's fast, and I can't wait to see him on the football field, and just go to work," Rice said. "And he can follow the greatness of Mike Evans because he's going to see how this guy works every day.

"And after he's been in the league for a long, long time—I'm not saying that he's not a hard worker, but he's got the perfect example with Mike Evans."

You can watch Rice's full interview with Maiocco below.



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