Ricky Pearsall was gaining momentum when his rookie year came to an end, and the 49ers receiver is confident he can shine in year two.
Ricky Pearsall heads into year two of his NFL career under significant pressure to take a big step forward and establish himself as a critical element of the 49ers’ passing game.
Through no fault of his own, 2024 first-round pick Pearsall saw his rookie season extremely disrupted, with his debut delayed until Week 7 after he was shot through the chest in an attempted armed robbery in August.
Understandably, Pearsall needed some time to shake off the rust after somehow escaping that incident with no injuries to his organs. However, by the end of the season, he looked to have established an excellent rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy, racking up 210 receiving yards and two touchdowns over the final two weeks.
Having found his stride at the culmination of the 49ers’ disappointing 6-11 season, Pearsall conceded to being frustrated at having to leave for the offseason just as he was starting to shine.
Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, Pearsall said: “For me, it felt like the season was short, missing the first half of the season. I was ready for more games, especially when I was building momentum like that through the games and getting more comfortable.”
Pearsall will hope to build on the flashes he displayed in the closing weeks of his rookie year in the 2025 campaign, in which he is likely to take on greatly increased importance within the 49er passing game following the departure of Deebo Samuel. With Brandon Aiyuk’s return date uncertain, Pearsall could be the 49ers’ number one wideout to start the season.
And he believes he is set to make a crucial improvement that could allow him to shine in that capacity.
“I’m obviously more comfortable in my environment,” Pearsall added. “I know my teammates better. I know the system better. I just feel like I’m going to play a lot faster knowing exactly what’s coming up. I know exactly what to prepare for in the offseason to get into training camp. For me, taking care of my body is probably the most important thing and that’s something I’ve learned along the way.”
Pearsall has the goods pic.twitter.com/VEbWPzQpfa
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) May 8, 2025
A player claiming he will play faster in year two is a common refrain. There is nothing new about a second-year player talking about the game slowing down for him. However, for Pearsall, his words carry more weight as – assuming he is healthy for training camp – he should be able to combine improved speed of thought with increased physical speed as a product of being in better shape to start the year.
Last season, for obvious reasons, Pearsall’s movements initially looked somewhat labored when he finally got on the field. But, after the rust had been knocked off, Pearsall displayed significant twitch as a receiver who can do damage going downfield, win at the top of the route, and have a significant impact after the catch.
That progress came at the end of a year in which he saw his offseason disrupted by an unimaginable turn of events, and had some issues staying on the practice field prior to that due to a shoulder issue.
This year, the 49ers have played it safe with Pearsall because of a hamstring problem. However, he is expected to be ready for training camp and, if Pearsall can stay on the field in those practices and get the chance to knock off the rust in preseason, then – given what he showed at the end of 2024 – there should be great optimism the former 31st pick can indeed operate at a much faster speed and make the jump on which the 49ers are counting.