Ricky Pearsall missing time again is not what the San Francisco 49ers needed to hear heading into the 2026 preseason. The 49ers wide receiver, a first-round pick in 2024, is dealing with knee swelling believed to be a lingering effect of the PCL injury that cost him significant time last season.

I don’t usually get too worked up about preseason injuries, but this one has me a little concerned for Pearsall and for San Francisco’s receiving corps as a whole.

Availability remains Pearsall’s biggest hurdle

Nobody questions Ricky Pearsall’s talent. He’s got good size, a good frame, runs crisp routes, and brings a lot to the table. But the biggest ability in the NFL is availability.

Pearsall played 11 games in 2024 and just 9 games in 2025. That is not great to start an NFL career.

I understand everything that happened going into his rookie season. The off-the-field incident where he was shot in the chest was incredibly unfortunate, and we’re all blessed he’s still with us and able to play football. But at some point, you have to move on to the future and see what he can really bring to the table on a consistent basis. The PCL issue resurfacing now, before the regular season even starts, is a troubling sign.

This forces De’Zhaun Stribling and the supporting cast need to step up in 49ers training camp

This situation shines an even bigger light on rookie De’Zhaun Stribling out of Ole Miss. I made the case the other day that Stribling was an excellent draft pick for the 49ers and could have a big rookie year. Now that case is getting stronger by the day, because it’s not just Pearsall on the shelf. Wide receiver Christian Kirk has also been held out of practice with a calf strain he suffered on Monday.

That means Stribling is going to have to step up in a major way and prove he can make plays early for this team. It also puts more emphasis on guys like Mike Evans, Jacob Cowan, and DeMarcus Robinson to stay healthy and be out there consistently. Practice matters. Training camp reps matter. Preseason games and joint practices matter. Every snap these receivers can get is critical.

San Francisco is dealing with a tough stretch of injuries

Don’t forget, the 49ers are doing all of this without coach Kyle Shanahan, who continues to recover from his car accident. That adds another layer of difficulty to an already challenging situation for this wide receiver room.

I’m not going to panic over Ricky Pearsall yet. The 49ers’ receiving corps is not in deep trouble by any means. But these are not good signs. Pearsall needs to take care of his body, get healthy, and get back on the field, because playing in games is what matters most. Through two NFL seasons, his availability track record simply hasn’t been where it needs to be. The talent is there. Now he has to prove he can stay on the field long enough to show it.