The 49ers have an established cast of stars leading their team, but who could be the X-factor player that takes San Francisco over the top?
ESPN’s Ben Solak made the case for second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
“On one hand, it feels as if any wideout can succeed in Kyle Shanahan’s offense,” Solak wrote. “On the other hand, the 49ers’ wide receiver room hasn’t been this thin in a while. With Deebo Samuel now on the Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk not expected to return until Week 6 after his complex right knee injury, San Francisco desperately needs Pearsall to immediately shoulder a bigger portion of the offensive pie.”
With San Francisco battling a number injuries in its wide receiver room, Pearsall figures to be the defacto No. 1 option of the group when the 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks to open the 2025 NFL season.
Coach Kyle Shanahan praised Pearsall’s dependable hands and explained how that opens up opportunities for the second-year wideout to pick up some of the yards after catch slack after Deebo Samuel’s departure.
“I think anytime you have really good hands, that’s where it starts with having yards after the catch,” Shanahan said at 49ers practice in Santa Clara on Wednesday. “How quickly you can stop the spin of a ball, tuck it away and get immediately vertical usually has to do with how good your hands are. Ricky is very good at that. Then other stuff goes into breaking tackles and stuff.
Pearsall’s rookie campaign was derailed after suffering a gunshot wound just before Week 1 last year, but the Florida product finished his debut season on a strong note, logging 14 receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns over the 49ers; final two games.
The 2024 No. 31 overall draft pick finished his rookie season with 31 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.
Pearsall likely will see his target share take a huge leap in 2025, with a golden opportunity to validate San Francisco investing a first-round pick in his talents.
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