Tag: 49ers rookies

49ers 1st-round pick did something no 49ers rookie has done since Jerry Rice

Ricky Pearsall has arrived.

San Francisco 49ers 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall couldn’t have gotten off to a much rougher start to his NFL career.

The No. 31 overall pick suffered a hamstring injury that cost him the early part of training camp. Then once he returned he sustained a shoulder injury that cost him the entire preseason. When he finally got healthy with a week to go until the regular season, he was shot through the chest in an attempted robbery. The gunshot wound cost him the first six weeks of the regular season.

Pearsall had some good moments after returning in Week 7, but it took until Week 17 for the wide receiver out of Florida to break out and he did so in a big way.

On Monday Night Football against the Detroit Lions, Pearsall hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 141 yards and one touchdown. The eight catches and 10 targets both tied for team highs.

The 141 yards were the third-most ever in a game for a 49ers rookie, and the most since Jerry Rice had 241 yards in a Week 14 game back in 1985. The only other 49ers rookie with more receiving yards in a single game was Dave Parks, who had 146 in a game in 1964.

While the numbers are good, Pearsall’s versatility shined through Monday night. He showed off the ability to generate yards after the catch, won on a go route for a 40-yard catch, made a tough contested grab for a touchdown, and made a slick grab on third down where he used one hand to tip the ball to himself before tapping his toes on the sideline.

Pearsall’s first nine games had enough flashes that there was reason for optimism about his future in San Francisco. Monday night was the kind of performance that helps stamp him as a key cog in the 49ers’ receiving corps as they try and re-open their Super Bowl window.

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WATCH: 49ers rookie makes sweet catch to convert 3rd down vs. Lions

Ricky Pearsall is finding his way in the NFL.

What a first quarter for 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on Monday night.

San Francisco’s 2024 first-round pick has been more involved in the offense the last couple weeks. He earned a pair of targets in the first quarter against the Detroit Lions in Week 17.

The first one was a three-yard touchdown grab in the front corner of the end zone that put the 49ers ahead 7-0. That capped an 11-play, 61-yard opening drive for San Francisco.

The second one came on their second drive of the evening on a third-and-4.

Thanks to some heavy pressure from Detroit, quarterback Brock Purdy had to uncork his throw a little early and left his toss to Pearsall on a deep out a little bit high. That didn’t matter for the sure-handed rookie out of the University of Florida:

Pearsall had a difficult start to his rookie year after missing a ton of training camp because of hamstring and shoulder injuries. Then he suffered a gunshot wound the weekend before the regular season started. He’s starting to gain his footing in the 49ers’ offense though, and it’s hard not to be optimistic about his future when he’s making these kinds of catches.

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Kyle Shanahan waves off tense interaction between rookie WR and WR coach

49ers WR coach Leonard Hankerson lit up Ricky Pearsall after crucial mistake vs. Dolphins.

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall’s Week 16 performance won’t be defined by the box score.

The statistics show Pearsall hauled in all four of his targets for 37 yards. The four receptions tied his career-high and were his most since Week 10. The 37 yards were the third-highest mark of his career and also his most since Week 10.

His strong day was derailed by a pair of illegal formation penalties that came four plays apart in the third quarter. The second of that duo nullified a third-down conversion that would have set the 49ers up at the Dolphins 2-yard-line with a chance to erase a six-point deficit. Instead, the 49ers were pushed to a third-and-13 and eventually settled for a 41-yard field goal that was missed.

After the drive, 49ers wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson was shown by the CBS broadcast yelling animatedly at Pearsall on the sideline.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday told reporters in a conference call that the interaction wasn’t any cause for concern.

“Ricky loves to be coached and he doesn’t take things personal,” Shanahan said. “I think he was just as upset about it. Sometimes when there’s a lot of things that he’s trying to focus on and stuff and he forgets one little thing, which can end up being a big thing, especially the play that happened with it. And I mean, I didn’t see Hank, but I’m sure you saw his frustration, but that’s how we all were and that’s how Ricky was. And sometimes that’s what comes out naturally, which sometimes can get a guy to focus a little bit harder too.”

Those small mistakes can make a big difference in games, and it’s easy to see why a rookie would make them. That’s especially true for Pearsall who didn’t get much practice time in training camp because of hamstring and shoulder injuries, and then missed the first six weeks of the regular season after being shot through the chest.

Ideally these kinds of errors will be behind Pearsall moving forward as he gets more reps in the offense. The good news is he’s shown enough flashes as a pass catcher to be optimistic about his chances to be a regular contributor in 2025.

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49ers offense gets boost from unlikely source vs. Cowboys

Shoutout to Isaac Guerendo.

The San Francisco 49ers’ offense was stuck in a little bit of a rut Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, but an unlikely hero helped them turn it around.

In the first half of a 30-24 win over the Cowboys, the 49ers scored only six points. Their run game in particular struggled with running back Jordan Mason churning out only 18 yards on six carries in the first quarter and change.

A shoulder injury wound up forcing Mason into the locker room before halftime, opening the door for rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo. He entered the game with just 23 carries on the season, including only one in Week 7 against the Chiefs.

Sunday wasn’t the first time Guerendo got an opportunity for extended playing time, but it was certainly his best outing. He rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries and scored his first-career touchdown. He also got to 85 yards with a long run of just 19.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game that the improvement for Guerendo has been clear.

“I think he’s learned from each run he’s gotten,” Shanahan said. “There are a couple runs earlier in the year that he did alright on, but we grade him pretty hard, everybody pretty hard. And he had a couple, like four-yard runs we thought he could have got seven yards on. We go pretty hard on him. And then you watch how he takes that to practice and everything we’ve really kind of been pushing him with, he’s been real coachable, he’s not a sensitive guy, he’s real detailed and he’s very poised for a rookie. Things aren’t too big for him and didn’t get a lot of preseason, but once he got healthy there and throughout this year, I feel he’s gotten better each week.”

Guerendo also played a big role in the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks, but he struggled to find running room in that game before a 76-yard run late in the fourth quarter helped the 49ers seal the victory. He finished the game with 10 carries for 99 yards.

He was more consistent Sunday night with runs of 19 and 15 yards on his first two touches. He flashed his speed and his power, and in general looked more patient in waiting for running lanes to develop.

Shanahan also said Guerendo was running well enough that they didn’t even try to put Mason back in the game after he came out for the second half with his helmet on — a sign he was ready to go.

Guerendo rewarded the 49ers’ faith in him by going for 47 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in the second half. He also contributed as a pass catcher, hauling in three of his four targets for 17 yards.

The talent has always been apparent with Guerendo, he just wasn’t catching on the way we’ve seen other RBs do in Shanahan’s scheme. Sunday night was his coming out party and it came in a game where the 49ers desperately needed their run game to get rolling to help them turn things around after a rough first half.

With Christian McCaffrey set to return soon, Guerendo may not get another opportunity as a lead RB this season, but he took his opportunity Sunday night and played well enough to be a major cog in a huge 49ers victory.

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49ers roster moves: WR Ricky Pearsall officially activated

Some 49ers roster moves!

The San Francisco 49ers officially activated first-round pick Ricky Pearsall off the Non-Football Injury list as part of a flurry of roster moves ahead of their Week 7 bout with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pearsall has been on the NFI since suffering a gunshot wound to the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco the week before the regular season began.

The No. 31 overall pick in this year’s draft had his 21-day practice window opened Monday before the team’s bonus practice. They didn’t need more than a week of practice to decide to activate the rookie receiver. He was a full participant Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and was officially listed as questionable on the injury report.

His activation makes it appear he’ll suit up for the first time as a pro Sunday.

In a corresponding move, kicker Matthew Wright was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering shoulder and back injuries while trying to make a tackle on a kickoff in Week 6. He was with the club because kicker Jake Moody was hurt the week prior, also while making a tackle on a kickoff.

With no kicker on the active roster, former Packers kicker Anders Carlson was elevated from the practice squad after signing early in the week. Carlson, 26, connected on 27-of-33 field goals last season with Green Bay in his only NFL season.

Undrafted rookie safety Jaylen Mahoney was also elevated from the practice squad to provide depth at safety and special teams contributions.

The 49ers and Chiefs kick off at 1:25pm Pacific Time from Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

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49ers injury update: Practice window opened for rookie WR

Great news: WR Ricky Pearsall is back for the 49ers.

The San Francisco 49ers on Monday announced rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall’s practice window has officially been opened.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks that Pearsall’s practice window would be opened ahead of Week 7.

The 49ers now have 21 days to decide whether to activate Pearsall off IR. If he’s not activated within that 21-day window his rookie season will be over.

San Francisco has a bonus practice Monday after getting the mini-bye following their Thursday night matchup with the Seahawks. Pearsall figures to participate in that session, although his level of activity won’t be clear since the team isn’t obligated to release a participation report like they will after Wednesday’s normal practice.

Monday will mark Pearsall’s first practice since being shot through the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco in early September.

It’s also unclear just how much Pearsall will play this season. He missed a large chunk of training camp with hamstring and shoulder injuries. Now he’s missed the first six weeks of the regular season.

San Francisco may utilize his entire 21-day window to ensure he’s as up to speed as possible before coming off IR.

The 49ers selected Pearsall at No. 31 overall in this year’s draft out of the University of Florida. He has yet to make his pro debut after missing all of the preseason and the first portion of the regular season.

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49ers rookie has officially jumped up depth chart after earning Week 4 start

The 49ers had a new starter on Sunday, an indicator that their depth chart has changed.

The San Francisco 49ers’ blowout win over the New England Patriots in Week 4 began with an interesting wrinkle.

Strong safety Talanoa Hufanga was ruled out of the contest with an ankle injury he suffered in Thursday’s practice. That opened the door for a new starter to jump into that role.

For the first two weeks it was veteran George Odum in the starting spot while Hufanga finished his recovery from an ACL tear he suffered last season. This week was different.

With Hufanga nursing an ankle issue, the 49ers turned to rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha as their starter.

“Yeah, we thought he was ready for it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said in a press conference after the game. “When him and (Odum) G.O. were going, we started rotating him a little, I think the second week. He’s been doing awesome in practice. We started to mix him in there in game two. I think (Hufanga) Huf came back in game three, so we didn’t need to do it. But when we found out Huf couldn’t play today, we knew he was next man up.”

Mustapha rotated in and actually out-snapped Odum in Week 2, but he didn’t see much action in Week 3.

In Week 4 he was the strong safety, an indicator that he’s eclipsed Odum on the depth chart and has firmly grasped the No. 3 safety spot where the club will turn to him if there’s an injury. They may also start sprinkling in some three-safety looks where Mustapha is on the field with Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown.

For now he’s steadily climbing the depth chart. Barring a major injury he’ll be the No. 3 safety the rest of this year, but his rise bodes well for his chances to snag a starting job in 2025.

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2 49ers rookies may see more playing time after Week 2 debuts

Could these 49ers rookies see more playing time after their brief Week 2 outings?

A pair of San Francisco 49ers rookies made their debuts on the defensive side of the ball in Week 2.

Cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha both saw action on defense against the Minnesota Vikings after only playing on special teams in the season opener vs. the New York Jets.

Green played four snaps as a fourth cornerback. Mustapha rotated in at strong safety with veteran George Odum and played 31 snaps.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that both players could see similar roles against the Rams depending on how their game plan shakes out.

“Possibly. They have to be ready, always, in case of an injury,” Shanahan said. “I could say they don’t have any plans to play or to go in and then one play happens and they’re in the rest of the game. It was nice to mix Malik in last week. I thought he did well with his reps. Renardo came in on a couple of dime packages and he did well with his reps too. So possibly with the scheme, whatever that is this week, we can keep building off that. But if not, they’re always one play away from playing the rest of the game.”

Green is still behind Isaac Yiadom on the 49ers’ depth chart, and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to pass him despite a tough game from Yiadom in Minnesota. If the rookie second-round pick does play it’ll likely be in the dime package like the one he played in against the Vikings.

Mustapha is a more interesting case because starting strong safety Talanoa Hufanga is expected to return in Week 3. However, Hufanga’s workload is still a question mark. If he ends up not playing a full complement of snaps, we could see Mustapha rotate in as the backup.

Regardless of their roles in 2024, both Green and Mustapha figure to play big parts in the 49ers’ defense in 2025 and beyond.

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4 49ers rookies change jersey numbers after final cuts

Hot of the presses! New jersey numbers are out for 49ers rookies:

The San Francisco 49ers had a quartet of rookies change their jersey numbers once the dust settled from final cuts.

Cornerback Renardo Green, safety Malik Mustapha, wide receiver Jacob Cowing and running back Isaac Guerendo all made number changes ahead of the team’s Tuesday bonus practice according to the Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

Green, who rocked No. 31 during the preseason, changed his number to 0. That jersey was previously worn by CB Samuel Womack, who was waived at final cuts. The Indianapolis Colts claimed him off waivers.

That jersey number has only ever been worn by Womack in 49ers history. He began wearing it last season when the NFL changed its jersey number rules.

Mustapha wore No. 43 in the preseason, a traditional safety number. He will now wear No. 6 in the regular season. He joins Deommodore Lenoir and Charvarius Ward as players wearing single digits in the 49ers secondary. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown wear 29 and 27, respectively.

Cowing was another player who wore a traditional number for his position in camp. His preseason jersey number was 83. He’ll now wear No. 19, which was most recently worn by WR Deebo Samuel. Samuel changed to No. 1 this offseason.

During camp, veteran WR Trent Taylor rocked the No. 19 jersey. He was released and then re-signed to the practice squad. His new numbers is 81 since he didn’t retain his jersey number after camp because of his release.

Perhaps the most notable change is Guerendo, who wore No. 49 in the preseason. That is an objectively atrocious number for a running back. He’s now wearing No. 31 – still not great, but better than 49.

Green and RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn were both No. 31 in camp. Vaughn was waived and re-signed to the practice squad. Green, of course, relinquished 31 to take No. 0.

We may see plenty of these jerseys on the field in the season opener on Sept. 9. Green could be the team’s starting slot corner, while Guerendo and Cowing could both start as returners on special teams.

The rest of the rookie class will apparently retain their numbers. First-round pick Ricky Pearsall is No. 14, third-round pick Dominick Puni is No. 77, and seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune will stay with No. 48.

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WATCH: 49ers rookie has huge kick return in preseason debut

This is one way to stake a claim to a roster spot.

How about San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo?

The fourth-round pick suffered a hamstring injury on Day 1 of training camp that kept him out until the final week of the preseason. He finally got into a game when the 49ers had their final exhibition game Friday night at Allegiant Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders.

It was clear early on why the 49ers selected Guerendo. He looked comfortable on an early kick return and put together a couple of nice runs on offense where he showed the same smooth running style that made him successful in college.

The Raiders had a punt return for a touchdown that cut the 49ers lead to 10-7, and then Guerendo went to work on the ensuing kickoff with a 93-yard return.

That’s the kind of thing a player can do to help himself make a roster after getting virtually no practice or game action in before the regular season.

Guerendo got to the sideline, then made a couple of great cuts before running through contact and getting into the open field. His speed was also evident before he ran out of gas and got chased down.

Coaches will want to see him switch the football to his outside arm when he gets to the sideline, but that’s a small nitpick compared to the big play he generated. Guerendo was on the outside looking in at a roster spot entering Friday, but plays like this one will help his case.

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