49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Explains Ricky Pearsall's Lack of Production
![Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5311,h_2987,x_0,y_145/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01jea0xvfcfhwq82gttt.jpg)
Expectations for Ricky Pearsall's rookie season never should have been high.
He missed almost all of training camp with a shoulder subluxation and then he got shot in the chest just a few days before the beginning of the regular season. And despite all that, he returned by Week 7. What a courageous man. Anything he does on the football field this year is a bonus. It's possible with a full offseason that he'll become an impact player this year.
Unfotunately for Pearsall, the 49ers need him to make an impact now. That's because Brandon Aiyuk is out for the year with a knee injury and Deebo Samuel no longer is good. And yet, Pearsall has caught zero passes the past three games.
“I think Ricky got a little banged up in Green Bay," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, "battled through that a lot, still was able to play a lot through it and helped us out at punt return. And I don't judge much from that Buffalo game. I think we had six completions that were screens and I think four other guys had like a four-yard catch except for [WR] Jauan [Jennings] on a skinny. There was nothing really with Ricky there. We had a chance to hit him downfield one time and he slipped, but that was nothing against him for that game.”
In six games, Pearsall has 11 catches for 132 yards and 1 touchdown. Keep in mind, he was the sixth wide receiver drafted. Of the top nine receivers taken in this year's draft, all but Pearsall have at least 393 receiving yards. Of course, none of the others got shot.
Still, on tape it looks like Pearsall isn't getting open. And the 49ers drafted him because they thought he could beat man-to-man coverage.
Let's see if Pearsall can do just that in the final five games of the season.
Download and follow The Cohn Zohn Podcast.