# Mike Clay: Clay's 2026 statistical projections for the 49ers, as read on air: modest rookie production, a healthy but slightly reduced Christian McCaffrey workload, and Mike Evans falling short of 1,000 receiving yards. **Claimed:** May 11, 2026 **Pundit:** Mike Clay — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mike-clay **Outlet:** Locked On 49ers (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/locked-on-49ers-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdrl.fm/f9f75c/lockedon.simplecastaudio.com/0a6076b9-74e2-4b01-846e-5cc0d0b8031c/episodes/60ac83f8-baa0-4f9c-9205-266a980f79fe/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=0a6076b9-74e2-4b01-846e-5cc0d0b8031c&awEpisodeId=60ac83f8-baa0-4f9c-9205-266a980f79fe&feed=P83yLSb_ 20 checkable claims — 20 player season numbers — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 9 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 10 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 8. > Mike Clay has Dajon Stripling projected to get 34 targets as the the fourth wide receiver on the 40 niners offense next year. 22 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Mike Evans to record 911 receiving yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **De'Zhaun Stribling to record 2 receiving tds** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brock Purdy to record 27 passing tds** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Mike Evans to record 6 receiving tds** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian McCaffrey to record 1,161 rushing yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian McCaffrey to record 686 receiving yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brock Purdy to record 4,125 passing yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Mike Evans to record 57 receptions** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **De'Zhaun Stribling to record 22 receptions** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian Kirk to record 2 receiving tds** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian Kirk, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian McCaffrey to record 5 receiving tds** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kaelon Black to record 185 rushing yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jordan James to record 344 rushing yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Jordan James, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **De'Zhaun Stribling to record 322 receiving yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian McCaffrey to record 10 rushing tds** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian McCaffrey to record 78 receptions** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brock Purdy to record 14 passing interceptions** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian Kirk to record 337 receiving yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian Kirk, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Romello Height to record 0.9 sacks** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Romello Height, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian Kirk to record 24 receptions** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Christian Kirk, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Mike Evans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/mike-evans - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - De'Zhaun Stribling — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/de-zhaun-stribling - Brock Purdy — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brock-purdy - Christian McCaffrey — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/christian-mccaffrey - Christian Kirk — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/christian-kirk - Kaelon Black — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kaelon-black - Jordan James — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jordan-james - Romello Height — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/romello-height ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on San Francisco 49ers: Simms went through every Week 2 game with predicted final scores, picking the Texans, Bears, Steelers (as an upset), Packers, Ravens, Eagles, Buccaneers, Panthers, Jaguars, Seahawks, Cowboys, 49ers, Chargers, Chiefs and Rams to win. He also reiterated that Denver was his preseason Super Bowl pick while predicting the Broncos would fall to 0-2. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/32db5f5e-13da-47e3-b280-2aa9a80d172b (scored 80.95) - Chris Simms on San Francisco 49ers: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 88.1) - Richie Bradshaw on San Francisco 49ers: Bradshaw picks the 49ers to beat the Cardinals in their Week 3 matchup, predicting a final score of 27-14 in San Francisco's favor. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/56e0c2a3-ddff-46f8-8359-2a546546a29c (scored 83.33) - Richard Sherman on San Francisco 49ers: Sherman picked winners and several exact scores across the Week 3 slate, favoring Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Detroit, Green Bay, Carolina, New Orleans, Baltimore, the Rams, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Kansas City, Minnesota, the Giants, Jacksonville and Houston, and named Kenneth Walker his MVP. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c2102f61-711d-4041-af08-065e95ccaf03 (scored 83.33) - Colin Cowherd on San Francisco 49ers: The co-host (identified only as "Mitchell") made his own Week 3 picks, including blowout wins for Seattle and San Francisco, Cincinnati 27-17, Detroit 37-13, Denver 24-21 over the Rams, and predicted Jonah Coleman takes over the Broncos' running back role. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4ccbceaa-54ca-4a2e-ad90-006f1ded0ad2 (scored 100) - Tyler Sullivan on San Francisco 49ers: Sullivan projects final scores for every Week 3 game, including a Bills blowout of the reeling Chargers, a Chiefs rout in Miami, a Seahawks win over a Mariota-led Washington, and the Saints beating the Raiders in their home opener. He also expects Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart all to be sidelined in Week 3, with Marcus Mariota starting for Washington. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e4b11b44-d359-4027-a72c-87833f5ff6e3 (scored 90.48) ## More player season numbers The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Ross Jackson on Tyler Shough: Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4dc05898-73fd-4fcb-92c4-a940d7e395ba (scored 3.63) - Chris Broussard on Lamar Jackson: Broussard expects Lamar Jackson to play well but not vintage — two touchdown passes and no picks — while Derrick Henry carries the load with over 100 rushing yards. He also takes the Browns to upset the Bengals and believes Myles Garrett gets at least two sacks to break the single-season record. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5a026afc-40fe-4b1f-b209-3ce53ae205d7 (scored 0) - Nick Wright on Myles Garrett: Wright picks the Steelers to beat the Ravens outright in Pittsburgh, takes Seattle over San Francisco, and thinks the Browns lose to Cincinnati even as Myles Garrett gets the sack record. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9a8b5cea-9f2f-46f0-9939-72c2a60e4c26 (scored 100) - Nick Wright on Myles Garrett: Nick Wright says Myles Garrett is playing at an all-time level and might reach 25 sacks this season, and among his weekly picks he expects the Bears to beat the Steelers in an ugly low-margin home win and Seattle to win comfortably at Tennessee. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/029b0090-8d3f-47de-9fb9-7f0a02320f3a (scored 84) - Shannon Sharpe on T.J. Watt: On a Bengals-Steelers matchup, Sharpe took the over on several player props: Ja'Marr Chase over 74.5 receiving yards, Joe Flacco over 36.5 pass attempts, and T.J. Watt over 3.5 tackles+assists, adding that Watt will get two sacks. He also predicted Rico Dowdle would make the Pro Bowl this season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1fbc5b8e-7449-41f4-a5a2-7029cc4ef65e (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Micah Parsons: Eisen made a series of picks: Micah Parsons will out-sack any two Cowboys combined (after initially leaning the other way), the NFC North is more likely to produce a Super Bowl team than the NFC East, Eagles wins will outnumber Cowboys losses, Bo Nix/Courtland Sutton will out-touchdown Cam Ward/Calvin Ridley, and Marvin Harrison Jr./James Conner will beat Kamara/Olave in yards and TDs. He also picked the AFC West order and said Deion Sanders is more likely than Bill Belichick to have a winning record. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f94f8499-af74-4a8d-a688-fd08cd52bb3c (scored 56.25) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=mike-clay