49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Stays hot with another score
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Pearsall corralled six of eight targets for 69 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 47-24 loss to the Cardinals.
Pearsall was the 49ers' leading receiver while scoring his second touchdown in as many games. The rookie saw most of his season production come in those two games after injuries and limited usage kept him out of the fantasy picture for most of the season. With Brandon Aiyuk recovering from knee surgery and Deebo Samuel set to hit the open market as a free agent, Pearsall's strong close to the season should have his fantasy stock pointing up ahead of the 2025 campaign.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Cleared to play Week 18
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Pearsall (illness/chest) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Coming off a Week 17 breakout performance, Pearsall should have a featured role in the San Francisco offense Sunday with fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel (ribs/wrist) ruled out. QB Brock Purdy (elbow) also is out, however, leaving Pearsall and Jauan Jennings to catch passes from backup Joshua Dobbs.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Limited again Thursday
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Pearsall (illness/chest) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Pearsall is operating with a cap on his reps so far during Week 18 prep due to an illness and a chest injury, both of which are new health concerns for the rookie first-round pick. Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not he has a designation ahead of Sunday's game at Arizona, but if he's active, Pearsall will be working with QB Joshua Dobbs instead of Brock Purdy, who isn't expected to be available due to a banged-up right throwing elbow.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Falls ill, has chest injury
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Pearsall was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to an illness and a chest injury, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Since getting held without a reception in three consecutive contests from Weeks 11 through 13, Pearsall's involvement in the 49ers' passing game has increased in four straight games, culminating with career highs across the board (8-141-1 on 10 targets) during Monday's 40-34 loss to the Lions. With his health now compromised, however, Pearsall's status will be one to monitor as the week rolls along to get a sense of his odds to suit up Sunday at Arizona.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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Pearsall loses value with Brock Purdy (elbow) not expected to start in Week 18 at Arizona, but hopefully, what we saw against the Lions in Week 17 is a sign of things to come in San Francisco. He had eight catches for 141 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets against Detroit, and this should be the future for the 49ers. Hopefully, if Josh Dobbs starts, he will lean on Pearsall against the Cardinals, and I would use him as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Breakout fantasy performance Monday
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Pearsall finished with eight receptions on 10 targets for 141 yards and a touchdown while adding six rushing yards on two attempts in Monday's 40-34 loss to Detroit.
Pearsall experienced a true fantasy breakout after weeks of inconsistent play over the second half of the season. The first-round pick finished behind only fellow rookie wideout Malik Nabers (7-171-2) for top honors in receiving yards for Week 17. The unfortunate news for Pearsall's potential managers Week 18 is that starting quarterback Brock Purdy exited Monday's contest with an injury to his throwing elbow, which could jeopardize his availability for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cardinals. Either way, Pearsall's strong play on MNF is a bright sign for the wideout's future as the 49ers look ahead to the 2025 campaign.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Improved play Sunday
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Pearsall had four receptions on as many targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 29-17 loss to Miami.
Pearsall experienced more success against the Dolphins than he did against the Rams last week (1-16-0) on the same amount of targets. The first-round rookie wound up logging 43 snaps on offense (70 percent) Sunday, his highest total since making his pro debut against the Chiefs in Week 7. With the 49ers officially being eliminated from playoff contention, perhaps the coaching staff will want to take a harder look at Pearsall over the club's final two games, starting with a home tilt against the Lions next Monday.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Struggles with four targets
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Pearsall had one reception (on four targets) for 16 yards in Thursday's 12-6 loss to the Rams.
Pearsall saw his highest target total since Week 10 (4-73-1 on six targets), but he was able to generate only one reception off the increased workload. The 49ers offense stalled as an entire unit, so it's hard to put the blame for Thursday's anemic offensive output on the rookie. With San Francisco all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the team may opt to get a better look at Pearsall against Miami on Sunday, Dec. 22.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Held to one catch Sunday
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Pearsall had one reception (on two targets) for five yards in Sunday's 38-13 rout of the Bears.
Pearsall turned in another poor fantasy outing, but this time there wasn't a snow storm to dismiss the low production. The first-round rookie was in for 49 percent of San Francisco's offensive snaps as he continues to serve as the team's No. 3 option behind starters Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings. Despite his recent struggles, those in deeper leagues may consider Pearsall in Week 15 for a potential high-scoring affair against the Rams on Thursday Night Football.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Week 11 Waiver Priority List
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Pearsall had a breakout game in Week 10 at Tampa Bay with four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He caught a 46-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown in the first quarter against the Buccaneers, and hopefully, it's a sign of things to come for the rookie from Florida, who is just three games into his NFL career after suffering a gunshot wound in September. He plays in a crowded receiving corps, so targets could be hard to come by, but it's also an explosive offense that could lend itself to Pearsall making big plays. He's worth stashing on your bench for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Scores first career TD
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Pearsall had four receptions (six targets) for 74 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-20 win over Tampa Bay.
Pearsall got the scoring started in the first quarter when he took a deep pass from Brock Purdy for 46 yards while extending the ball for the first touchdown of his professional career. The 24-year-old Pearsall served as the team's third wideout behind Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, but the rookie was the only one of the three to get into the end zone. Pearsall appears to be gaining confidence in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense as the team prepares to take on the Seahawks next Sunday.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Making NFL debut
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Pearsall (chest) is listed as active Sunday against the Chiefs.
Pearsall thus will make his long-awaited NFL debut after enduring a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery Aug. 31 that resulted in him spending the first six weeks of the campaign on the reserve/non-football injury list. With Jauan Jennings (hip) sidelined, Pearsall will have a chance to mix into the 49ers offense, but the team may prefer the veteran presence of Chris Conley as the No. 3 WR behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk for this high-profile matchup.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Set for NFL debut
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Pearsall (chest) remains listed as questionable but is on track to make his NFL debut in Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Jay Glazer on Fox Sports reports.
Pearsall (chest) was activated off the reserve/non-football injury list Saturday after he turned in a trio of full practices during Week 7 prep. With Jauan Jennings (hip) ruled out, Pearsall could get playing time on offense right away and challenge Chris Conley for the No. 3 receiver role behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Poised for season debut
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Pearsall (chest) was activated off the reserve/non-football injury list Saturday, but he remains questionable for Sunday's contest against the Chiefs, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
This was reported Friday, but the 49ers made it official with this transaction. With Jauan Jennings (hip) out ahead of the Super Bowl rematch, it'll be interesting to see how much work Pearsall will get right out of the gate. Chris Conley, the projected No. 3 target, is a capable veteran, but Pearsall, the team's 2024 first-round pick, was reportedly back working out only a few short weeks after suffering a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery Aug. 31, and San Francisco might be comfortable deploying its intriguing prospect as prominently as it can in this must-watch matchup.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Another full practice Thursday
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Pearsall (chest) practiced fully Thursday.
As for the rest of the 49ers' receiving corps, Deebo Samuel (wrist) again was limited Thursday while wearing a blue non-contract jersey, and Jauan Jennings (hip) has yet to practice this week. That marks two of the team's top three wide receivers, which may spur San Francisco to get Pearsall back on the active roster for the first time since Sept. 2. Friday's injury report will unveil whether he has a designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, but the 49ers will need to activate him from the reserve/non-football injury list by 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday in order for the rookie first-round pick to have a chance to play this weekend.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Return window opens Monday
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The 49ers opened Pearsall's (chest) 21-day practice window to return from the reserve/non-football injury list Monday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Pearsall will resume practicing as the 49ers prepare to face the Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch Sunday. In order to suit up and make his season debut, the 2024 first-round draft pick would first have to be added to the 53-man roster in an official move.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Not returning to practice this week
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Pearsall (chest) won't return to practice this week, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan made the announcement Wednesday, two days after he said that a decision hadn't yet been made about when Pearsall might resume practicing. It's unclear how much the decision is about Pearsall needing more time to recover, as the 49ers may be slow-playing things because they don't need help at wide receiver with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings all healthy right now.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: No decision yet on return to drills
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that the 49ers haven't made a decision whether or not to open Pearsall's (chest) practice window this week, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.
Pearsall has resided on the reserve/non-football injury list since he suffered a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery on Aug. 31, keeping him out of commission for the first four games of the campaign. He's eligible to return as soon as Week 5, but Shanahan appears to be keeping the situation close to the vest. Pearsall resumed working out during Week 2 prep, and he even ran routes on a side field on Sept. 20. With Deebo Samuel only missing one game (Week 3) due to a recent strained hamstring, the team may feel that they have a bit more leeway with Pearsall considering both Samuel and Aiyuk were able to suit up Sunday against the Patriots.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Running routes at practice
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Pearsall (chest) ran routes on a side field Thursday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Barrows notes that Pearsall was making sharp cuts and appeared to be running at full speed, which supports earlier reports that the rookie hopes to be ready for games when he's first eligible to return from injured reserve Week 5. Pearsall's role at that point will partially depend on the health of San Francisco's other pass catchers, namely WR Deebo Samuel, who is expected to miss the next two or three games with a calf injury. While nobody can truly replace Samuel's unique blend of talents, Pearsall was highly successful with his limited opportunities as a ball carrier in five seasons between ASU and Florida, taking 21 career rush attempts for 253 yards and five TDs.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Back to working out
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Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Friday that Pearsall (chest/shoulder) resumed working out at the 49ers' facilities this week, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Pearsall suffered a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery on Aug. 31, but he was discharged from the hospital one day later before the 49ers placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list on Labor Day. Since then, it was revealed that the team expected the rookie first-round pick to return when first eligible Week 5, and getting back to working out, including in the weight room, is a decent sign that he's on track for such an outcome. For as long as Pearsall remains sidelined, Jauan Jennings will remain San Francisco's No. 3 WR behind starters Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.