49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Downplays Ricky Pearsall's Subluxed Shoulder

"We'll see how he is this week. Hoping to get him back into practice this week. If he does, that's a pretty good sign that he could be available."

May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Shanahan was asked about Ricky Pearsall's shoulder injury after the 49ers' preseason finale. Here's what Shanahan said.

Q: Do you expect Ricky Pearsall to be available for the regular season opener?

SHANAHAN: "I hope so. We'll see how he is this week. Hoping to get him back into practice this week. If he does, that's a pretty good sign that he could be available."

Q: What is the nature of his shoulder injury?

SHANAHAN: "He subluxed his shoulder. That's what it is. You could look it up. I would tell you if I knew the definition of it. He did it in college I think his junior year. About 50 percent of the people coming out of college do that. That really wasn't the problem. He did it in OTAs for the first time with us, and when you do that, it's tender. Then he re-did it here a couple weeks ago and that makes it tender, so you want to give him time to come back from it."

Q: Is it a concern to you that it happened to him in college and now has happened again?

SHANAHAN: "No, not at all. This probably has happened to 80 percent of the guys on our team at some time. It's a pretty normal thing."

Q: There's no other structural damage to the shoulder?

SHANAHAN: "No."

MY TAKE: Shanahan seems extremely defensive, probably because he's the one who picked Pearsall. He threw out two stats that are highly questionable. I doubt that 50 percent of players who enter the NFL draft have suffered shoulder subluxations that force them to miss time, and I know for a fact that 80 percent of players on the 49ers haven't missed time due to that injury. It seems possible that Pearsall's injury is severe and that rest alone won't fix it -- they already tried resting it, and he reinjured it while blocking. If it doesn't improve, he'll need surgery. This story is far from over.