The San Francisco 49ers recently announced that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has suffered a long-term hamstring injury to begin OTAs. In 2024, Pearsall’s rookie campaign was limited to just 11 games. The ex-Florida Gator was shot in the chest before Week 1, prompting him to miss the first six games. Additionally, Pearsall suffered a shoulder injury sustained early in the fall.
The 2025 offseason looked to be a time when the 6’3″ receiver could recover and be fully ready come August. Sadly, it appears the sophomore wideout has sustained yet another serious setback.
2024 First-Round Pick Continues Rocky NFL Start, Hopes for Better Days
While it is likely he will play to begin the regular season, Pearsall’s time at offseason workouts appears to be complete. Niners writer Matt Maiocco reported what head coach Kyle Shanahan has to say.
Ricky Pearsall has a “tweaked” hamstring and probably will not be doing any work during drills in OTAs, Kyle Shanahan said.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) May 29, 2025
John Lynch, the 49ers general manager, called it “a shame” and praised the 24-year-old’s work ethic, despite all the obstacles.
“Ricky’s had a really good offseason. I know a lot of people learned yesterday [about the injury],” Lynch said. “Kudos to Kyle. A lot of coaches, this time of year, you don’t have to give injuries. There’s no secrets. We’re not trying to hide anything. Ricky’s worked his tail off this offseason. He and [Jacob Cowing] have really approached this offseason, and they’ve attacked it.
“It’s a shame he kind of got tweaked, but like I said, we’ve been out here working hard, and you’re always going to have a lot of caution this time of year. And I think it allows us to have a little more caution when we know the work Ricky’s put in. He’s in great shape. Ricky’s going to be a really good football player in this league, I think, for a long time, so we’re excited about that.
“I’m sure if it were the regular season, we’d be pushing to get him back next week. It’s not worth it right now. We want that thing to really heal up, and we’ll get him healthy for training camp. But he’s put in a lot of quality work.”
Although the second-year man played 11 games in 2024, he was still able to post 400 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and an average of 12.9 yards a catch.
Entering 2025, the departure of Deebo Samuel Sr. gives Pearsall quite the opportunity to step into a larger role. Working alongside Brandon Aiyuk (whose name has also swirled the traderumor mill), he will have the chance to take WR1-WR2 reps.
Similar to Pearsall, Aiyuk has fought through a severe leg injury as well. After tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of 2024, the receiver has yet to return. Lynch emphasized that the team is not rushing his return either and that he will play when he is ready.
As Lynch expresses his confidence in the young 49er receiving group, will they be able to keep up with the talented NFC West clubs? Pearsall and the 49ers alike battle controversy as they look for a bounce-back year after an injury-ridden 2024.