One reception for zero yards nearing the fourth quarter is not a stat line anyone wants to have, but it’s currently what wide receiver Ricky Pearsall of the San Francisco 49ers is experiencing.
Pearsall was returning from a multi-week absence due to a knee injury, and so far he hasn’t played like his usual self.
What Happened to Ricky Pearsall?
Pearsall had been out since Week 4 with a PCL injury, but in Week 11, he made positive developments, returning to practice and being active for Sunday’s game.
“It’s always frustrating when you get something taken away from you like that,” Pearsall previously said about his injury. “Just playing football, that’s part of the game. Sometimes you get banged up, but yeah, it sucks. Anytime I don’t get snaps and I’m not out there with my guys, it sucks for sure.
So while Pearsall has obviously been cleared for play and has stepped on the field, playing against the Arizona Cardinals, and a lack of production from the WR is showing that he is still working his way back from his injury.
Pearsall had 20 receptions for 327 yards across his four prior games played. He concluded the 2024 season with three total touchdowns and 400 yards.
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A Florida alum, the 6’1″, 189-pound WR was originally selected by the 49ers with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I wouldn’t say there was setbacks, but we all expected me to come back earlier,” Pearsall also said of his road to recovery. “If you look at how PCLs recover, especially for skill guys like me, playing receiver, having to cut off this leg, doing speed cuts, stuff like that, it’s not an easy process just to turn around in a week and come back.”
“Initially, yeah, I was telling myself to come back as quick as possible, and it just didn’t turn out that way,” Pearsall added. “Anytime I start feeling like myself, that’s when I feel like I’m ready to go. I’m not the type to not push through pain. I’m going to still push through pain. This ain’t nothing to me. I’ve been through way worse. I feel like, this week, I’ve been feeling like myself more.”
The San Francisco 49ers currently have the tenth-ranked offense overall this season, with an Offense Impact Score of 82.6 according to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
San Francisco had a 6-4 record heading into its Week 11 game against Arizona at the State Farm Stadium.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.