The San Francisco 49ers have been hit hard with injuries to the wide receiver group heading into and through three games to start the 2025 NFL season. However, with players missing, Ricky Pearsall is allowed to step up and become a reliable target.
Pearsall recorded 400 receiving yards last season in 11 games for the 49ers, per Pro Football Reference. Nonetheless, the 25-year-old is close to reaching that mark in Year 2. He’s recorded 100-plus receiving yards in two of the three games he’s played this season. Additionally, his best performance came in the 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Against Arizona, Pearsall recorded eight receptions for 114 receiving yards. One player who was impressed with the receiver’s performance was veteran Kendrick Bourne.
“Oh my goodness, man, he’s impressive,” Bourne said postgame (h/t KNBR). “Just coming in, the energy was so connective between us, just dancing and enjoying each other.
“We made a handshake so fast. I’m just proud of him. I told him his conditioning, his stamina, is top-tier. If he can play like that he’s going to have a great career. He’s going to get paid a lot of money.”
Ricky Pearsall Has Become the Go-to Guy for 49ers
Of the eight catches Pearsall made for the 49ers, the most impactful came in the fourth quarter. Pearsall got a clean release off the line on a crucial fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals’ 40-yard line and pulled in a 34-yard pass from quarterback Mac Jones, setting up Kyle Juszczyk’s go-ahead touchdown.
The University of Florida product has emerged as the team’s primary target. Jones threw to Pearsall a career-high 11 times, just four shy of Christian McCaffrey, who served as the safety net on most passing plays.
“I always think that we’re going to win,” Pearsall said when asked about the 49ers’ mentality heading into their game-winning drive (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area & California). “When we got the ball and we got two minutes left and we’re driving down the field, I have all the confidence in the world in Mac and entire offense to go down there and win the game for us.
“It really shows what kind of team we have to be able to go through adversity the entire game and the offense is able to put up points at the end to win the game.”
Ricky Pearsall Looks to Live Up to First-Round Pick Status
San Francisco chose Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and for him, Sunday was simply another step in his professional growth. Each play in games and every practice rep helps the wide receiver develop into the player the 49ers hoped he would become.
“I’m building more and more confidence the more I’m playing, the more I’m practicing and getting reps in the offense; I’m very confident,” Pearsall said. “I’m super blessed and happy to be in this situation I am, especially considering the situation that I had to go through last year.
“There’s a lot of things to be happy and excited about each and every day. I wake up and I just remind myself of that every single day. There’s a lot to be thankful for.”
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