49ers' Ricky Pearsall can be much more than just a feel-good story in long-awaited debut against the Chiefs
It was anticipated that first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall would need more than three practices to ramp up towards playing in an NFL game after having his practice window opened on Monday. But, exactly 50 days on from being shot through the chest during an attempted armed robbery, Pearsall will make his NFL debut for […]
It was anticipated that first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall would need more than three practices to ramp up towards playing in an NFL game after having his practice window opened on Monday.
But, exactly 50 days on from being shot through the chest during an attempted armed robbery, Pearsall will make his NFL debut for the San Francisco 49ers, and he will do so in a rematch of last season's Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed in his Friday press conference that Pearsall will be activated to the 53-man roster after practicing in full all week.
Asked what he would feel comfortable with Pearsall doing, Shanahan replied: "Wherever he is needed at. He’s got roles on special teams. He has got roles as a receiver. We’ll see how the game unfolds, but he’s healthy and ready to go.
"You put guys in what they’re ready for, but it’s always hard with a snap count when it’s not a preseason game and things like that. Ricky’s been studying, he’s been getting a ton of stuff.
"I know he’ll get better as the year goes so we understand that with our expectations and everything. Missing all the practice, missing some time, makes it harder just schematically and everything getting out of the huddle. But he’s working his butt off to catch up. He’s gotten better each day. I know he will get better each week."
There is the potential that Pearsall will see a lot of snaps in three-receiver sets right off the bat with Jauan Jennings, the man who may well have been Super Bowl MVP had the 49ers hung on to beat the Chiefs in overtime in Las Vegas, out with a hip issue.
Should he indeed get those opportunities, Pearsall has the potential to prove to be much more than a feel-good story in the biggest game of the season so far for the 49ers. The former Florida and Arizona State wideout has the skill set to quickly excel in the Shanahan offense.
A detailed route-runner who showed off a range of different releases in college, Pearsall is explosive out of his breaks and has previously demonstrated superb flexibility in changing direction.
Headfakes are a well-established part of Pearsall's arsenal, while he has also displayed an ability to defeat coverage by varying his route speeds.
In short, he is a receiver who has a host of tools that allow him to beat both zone and man coverage. Per Reception Perception, Pearsall had a 75.8 percent success rate against man coverage, which was second best among the 2024 prospects charted. Per Pro Football Focus, he was 12th among FBS receviers in the 2024 class with at least 50 zone targets with 2.54 yards per route run versus zone.
The Chiefs have primarily used quarters coverage this season, running it 25.7 percent of the time, per MatchQuarters. However, they have also used a lot of man coverage, going with Cover 1 on 20.4 percent of their snaps and Cover 0 on 8.6 percent.
San Francisco can likely expect to see a good mix of both, but perhaps with a greater emphasis on the physical man coverage the Chiefs used to restrict the 49er offense in the Super Bowl. Pearsall has the weaponry to beat both, and quarterback Brock Purdy believes his skills could be especially useful inside the opposing 20.
The Niners have struggled in the red zone this year, scoring 12 touchdowns in 27 trips, but Purdy said of Pearsall's potential impact in that area: "It’s another great option and another part of our offense. When you’ve got a guy like Ricky that can win man-to-man matchups and then also open up some other guys too, that’s always a good thing. So, I’m excited to see what he does."
Prior to a shoulder injury stymieing his progress, Pearsall had been demonstrating an excellent rapport with Purdy, who is the highest graded quarterback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus this season while leading the league in intended and completed air yards.
Purdy's 368 yards on throws of 20 yards or more are the third-most in the NFL and, though he is not a speedster, there is evidence to suggest the understanding Pearsall displayed with his quarterback in the early portion of the offseason could translate into some downfield plays.
Among FBS receivers in the 2024 draft with at least 20 targets of 20 yards or more last year, Pearsall ranked 14th with 17.1 yards per route run on deep balls.
In his first game back after recovering from such a traumatic incident, conventional wisdom would be to temper expectations for Pearsall's debut.
But the 49ers tempered expectations for Pearsall at the start of this week, only to see him smash them with an outstanding week of practice.
"We hadn’t seen him out there in a while, going with the team," added Shanahan. "And Monday [a bonus walkthrough], I didn’t even really count, just because it was a walkthrough and everything. But Wednesday, he looked great and Thursday was even better and today he’s even more comfortable. So that made the decision pretty easy."
It has already been a remarkable week for Pearsall, but the 49ers drafted him for what they believe he can do on Sundays. Boasting the clear confidence of his quarterback and the attributes to excel against what will likely be a varied and aggressive Chiefs defensive approach, there's little to suggest Pearsall can't thrive on his first Sunday as an active NFL player and write another stunning chapter of an already incredible tale of triumph over adversity.
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