The San Francisco 49ers were without Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall last week, yet they still managed to defeat the Los Angeles Rams. Will Jennings and Pearsall be able to return in Week 6? Here’s everything to know about Pearsall and Jennings’ injuries and the timeline for their returns.
49ers WR Injury Update: Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings Return Timeline
Pearsall is dealing with a PCL injury and did not play for the 49ers during the team’s Thursday Night Football matchup against Los Angeles. Pearsall didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday leading up to Week 6. On Friday, the team officially listed him out for the upcoming game.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that the team expected him to be back to practice by now. Since he isn’t back, Shanahan said the team is “not counting” on having Pearsall this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pearsall is in his second year with the 49ers after the team selected him in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s been great this season, racking up 20 catches for 327 yards. He is currently ranked as the sixth-best wideout in the NFL, according to PFSN’s WRi metric.
Jennings has been banged up all season and is now sidelined with minor ankle and rib injuries. Like Pearsall, Jennings sat out last week and missed practice on Wednesday. However, he was a limited participant on Thursday, which is a positive development for the 49ers. On Friday, the 49ers announced Jennings is listed as questionable for Week 6.
Jennings has missed time this season, but when healthy, he has produced. He has recorded nine catches for 129 yards and a touchdown in three games.
Even with an additional nine days to recover before their Week 6 matchup against the Buccaneers, Jennings and Pearsall remain sidelined. Keep an eye on the practice reports on Thursday and Friday to see if they’re able to return this week.
Pearsall and Jennings Fantasy Outlook
A knee injury resulted in Pearsall missing Thursday night’s game last week, something that wasn’t much of a surprise after he mentioned feeling “instability” coming out of Week 4.
I was never a high-level athlete, but I’ve been covering it for a while, and hearing someone self-describe an injury like that isn’t common.
Pearsall is this offense’s primary deep threat (15.9-yard aDOT compared to Jauan Jennings’ 9.8), but I’m going to be a week late rather than a week early in inserting him into my lineup.
Those downfield routes require a connection with his quarterback (which requires said QB to be healthy) and the ability to adjust on the fly to track the ball.
Pearsall can access both of those things with time, but I need assurance on the health side for a full week at a minimum before being tempted to roll the dice here.
As for Jennings, that’s now two missed games this season for the wideout, and the fact that they can’t decide on a single injury to list (ribs/ankle) is disconcerting to say the least.
He had the big game against the lowly Saints in Week 2 (89 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets), but he didn’t finish among the top 50 receivers in either of his other games this season and seems to be the lower upside option when compared to Rickey Pearsall.
I’m cautiously optimistic that he plays for the Niners this week after a long week of prep, but I’m actively looking for other options, and I expect that to be the case moving forward, with George Kittle targeting next week as his return to the field.
He’s a talented player who will give this offense a boost, but I’m stopping well short of labeling him a reliable fantasy contributor.