Tag: Ricky Pearsall

WR unexpectedly became position 49ers must address in offseason

More pass catchers? More pass catchers.

The San Francisco 49ers after the 2024 draft looked set up in their receiving corps for at least a couple of seasons.

Brandon Aiyuk was coming off an All-Pro season. Deebo Samuel had a strong 2023 campaign and was primed to thrive alongside another All-Pro. Jauan Jennings, an integral if seldom-used piece of the 49ers offense, was signed through 2025. San Francisco also drafted Ricky Pearsall in the first round and Jacob Cowing in the fourth round.

That was a receiving corps with a good mix of veterans and young players and a good variance in skill sets. Then the 2024 season played out and now that plan at receiver is full of question marks that may push San Francisco to add another player at the position either in free agency or early in the draft.

Aiyuk is coming off a major knee injury and his status for the start of the regular season is in the air. Samuel is coming off his worst year as a pro. Pearsall flashed when he got more opportunities toward the end of the season, but he’s still a question mark with only 11 games of NFL experience. Cowing is an even bigger question mark going into his second year after struggling to crack the rotation as a rookie.

Jennings is the only player who doesn’t seemingly have any questions hanging over his head after he had his best year as a pro, falling only 25 receiving yards shy of 1,000.

There’s a version of the 49ers receiving corps that’s very good in 2025, but it relies on a lot of things going right. They’d need Aiyuk returning at something close to full strength, Samuel to bounce back in his Age 29 season, Pearsall to breakout in Year 2, Cowing to find his footing as a pro, and Jennings to replicate his career year.

San Francisco would be taking on a significant risk in hoping all of those things to go right. They can mitigate some of that risk by bringing in another receiver or two in the offseason to help fill out their depth and insulate themselves from one or two seasons from another receiver getting off track.

They shouldn’t use another first-round pick on the position, and they shouldn’t offer a massive contract to a free agent, but they should be diligent in finding a reliable pass catcher they can bring in to help avoid a potential catastrophe lurking at a position that looked set going into last season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall offered forgiveness to the teenager who shot him in an attempted robbery

What an impressive message.

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall made a miraculous recovery after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery back in August. But despite the seriousness of the crime, Pearsall delivered a gracious message to the teenager who shot him.

In fact, Pearsall offered his forgiveness.

Speaking to reporters on Monday as the 49ers cleaned out their lockers, Pearsall was asked about the 17-year-old who was charged with attempted murder and other felonies. Pearsall said that he hadn’t been too involved with the legal process with the season ongoing, but he expects that to change now that the 49ers are in their offseason.

He also said that he would like to speak to the teenager one day and make a positive impact on his life.

Pearsall was able to make a full recovery, making his NFL debut just seven weeks after being shot.

NFL fans loved that he voiced a message of forgiveness when he really didn’t have to. The character is undeniable.

This was how Twitter/X reacted

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1371]

49ers 1st-round pick grabs TD in homecoming vs. Cardinals

The 2024 first round pick notched a touchdown catch in Week 18 against the Cardinals.

From the first offensive drive, a connection that has been rolling for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals is the duo of Josh Dobbs and rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.

After hitting Pearsall for a big gain early, Dobbs found Pearsall before the end of the half for a touchdown. With time ticking down in the second quarter, Dobbs drilled Pearsall for a six-yard touchdown on third down to tie the game at 17 against the Cardinals.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

Prior to spending his final two seasons of college football at Florida, Pearsall spent three seasons in the Pac 12 with Arizona State. Pearsall was born in Phoenix, Arizona and played high school football in Tempe.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

1 big offensive adjustment 49ers must make in final 3 games of 2024 season

It’s Ricky Pearsall time.

With the postseason all but out of their grasp, the San Francisco 49ers can now start operating with the 2025 season in mind.

That doesn’t mean the dreaded ‘tank’ where the team tries losing games to improve its draft position. It does mean they should be looking to see exactly what they have with some of the players on their roster in the final three games.

One key adjustment they need to make while turning their sights toward 2025 and beyond is getting first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall more involved in the offense.

Pearsall this season has 24 targets in eight games, but after earning six targets in Week 10, he has only nine targets in the five games since. Overall he’s turned his opportunities into 13 catches for 153 yards and one touchdown.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday told reporters he’s happy with the rookie now that he’s getting a regular chance to play and practice.

“I think Ricky’s doing a hell of a job,” Shanahan said. “I know everyone talks about the gunshot wound, but what people don’t realize is, I think I said a couple weeks ago, but he only had three practices before that gunshot wound. He missed all OTAs and all of training camp and then to get that gunshot basically went from Florida to us halfway through the season. So, I thought he did a hell of a job coming back from that, trying to learn and practice as he goes. He’s been banged up a little bit, started in Green Bay. I think he’s fought through that here the last couple weeks. I thought he did some real good stuff on tape last week. He had a couple big catches. I think he’s going the right direction and hope it keeps improving here these next three games.”

One way to ensure he’s improving is trying to get him the ball more often. In that Week 10 game where he had six targets, Pearsall hauled in four of them for 73 yards and a touchdown. His absence from the offense may just be a result of the injury issues Shanahan mentioned, but that’s something they need to resolve before the season ends.

Pearsall is a key piece of their receiving corps in the future and ironing out a more accurate trajectory for his immediate future will play a significant role in how the 49ers should operate in the offseason.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall is opening up the 49ers offense

Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall is opening up the 49ers offense despite being shot over the summer

In what can be described as a miracle story, San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has made his way back from a gunshot wound suffered mere months ago and is now quickly becoming a dominant force in this Kyle Shanahan offense.

After losing starting receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the season the 49ers have been leaning on a now healthy Pearsall to help this offense move. In his first three starts with the team Pearsall has already wracked up 11 catches, 132 yards, and found his first touchdown last Sunday against a tough Tampa Bay defense. Pearsall has improved his numbers with each game he has played this season, and will look to be more involved in this creative offense as his super-athlete skillset meshes perfectly with what San Francisco likes to do.

 

With superstar Christian McCaffrey back on the field and the emergence of Juan Jennings, teams are going to have a headache attempt to defend San Francisco’s stable of athletic playmakers and Pearsall should experience more and more success moving forward into the season. If this offense can rally behind this unique offensive group, the 49ers will once again be able to make plenty of noise during a playoff push.

49ers WR Ricky Pearsall makes first career TD catch

Ricky Pearsall’s story keeps getting better

The Ricky Pearsall story added another page on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers’ first-round pick out of Florida caught his first career touchdown pass. It was good for 46 yards from Brock Purdy.

Pearsall was wounded in a robbery attempt in the offseason and rehabbed before making his NFL debut. He’s been on the field for the 49ers for a few weeks and now has a touchdown reception.

Former Florida WR Ricky Pearsall shines in first NFL start

Ricky Pearsall’s recovery and breakout debut as a starter couldn’t have come at a better time for the San Francisco 49ers.

No one expected former Florida wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] to make his first start in Week 8 of his rookie year in the NFL, for multiple reasons.

When Pearsall was drafted in the first round this spring, the expectation was for him to join the receivers rotation in San Francisco and start within a few weeks. Then tragedy struck as Pearsall was shot in the chest during an armed robbery that took place just weeks before the start of the regular season.

Miraculously, and thanks to the actions of first responders, Pearsall survived and was back in the gym within the week. Still, a recovery timeline from that kind of injury can vary by the week. Pearsall was activated on Oct. 19 and debuted a day later when the 49ers faced the Kansas City Chiefs.

He caught three passes for 21 yards on five targets and instantly became a factor in San Francisco’s offense thanks to several injuries to the position room.

Pearsall followed up his debut with his first start on Sunday against Dallas. Instead of lining up primarily in the slot, Pearsall played mostly outside against the Cowboys, reeling in all four targets for 38 yards and rushing for 39 more on an end-around. Welcome to the league, rook.

Although Pearsall failed to find the endzone, it’s safe to call this a breakout game for the first-year pass-catcher. He’ll continue to get opportunities with Brandon Aiyuk out for the year with a torn ACL.

“It just comes down to getting that trust of Brock (Purdy), so getting that connection going throughout practice,” Pearsall said after the game. “Obviously, having Brandon Aiyuk down, there’s going to be a few more opportunities for me to go out there and run some routes and get the ball in my hands.”

Pro Football Focus gave Pearsall a 68.3 overall grade on offense — good for No. 44 on the week and ahead of top receivers such as Ja’Marr Chase and A.J. Brown — and his 66.5 receiving grade ranks eighth among the 19 receivers who were drafted in 2024 and played this week.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.