After a rookie season that would have been impossible to predict, the San Francisco 49ers saw glimpses of why they selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Through the first month of the season, Pearsall was neck and neck with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in several metrics that matter. Pearsall had two games over 100 yards as a receiver in the first four games and had receptions of 31, 34, and 45 yards. While he failed to reach the end zone, he wasn’t just a chain mover. Pearsall was an explosive
play threat.
Unfortunately, Pearsall missed the month of October due to an injury. He wouldn’t have another impactful play until December. San Francisco missed Pearsall for the regular-season finale and the Wild Card round. Pearsall couldn’t shake free from the Seahawks coverage in the playoffs.
Heading into Year 3, there’s no question that Pearsall is an NFL player. It’s fair to ask whether his body can hold up during the course of the NFL season, which is part of the reason why the team invested in three wide receivers this offseason.
Basic Info
Age: 25 (birthday is in September
Experience: 2 accrued seasons
Height: 6’1
Weight: 189 pounds
Cap Status
Pearsall is entering the third season of his rookie contract. His 2026 base salary of $1.93 million is guaranteed. His protated signing bonus is $1.48 million. Pearsall’s cap number is $3.41 million.
Were the offseason additions due to Pearsall?
Pearsall led the NFL with 264 receiving yards on downfield throws through the first three weeks of the season. He caught one downfield pass on five targets once he returned during the first three games. Then, once Ricky started getting going, he caught all seven of his downfield targets for 141 yards during the final few weeks of the season.
We believe the 49ers added talent around Pearsall for multiple reasons. The fact that he led the team in targets and receptions on 20+ air-yard throws despite playing just 43% of the snaps means the team needed someone else reliable on the perimeter.
Still, there are enough examples through two seasons to suggest Pearsall will either get banged up or not perform like a WR1, which is the expectation when you take a receiver in the first round.
Last year, we asked Pearsall to be a better version of what Deebo Samuel was in his final year. Pearsall had 36 receptions for 528 yards, but failed to reach the end zone. He also only had two carries, which was something else Deebo brought to the table.
Deebo scored four touchdowns in 2024 and had 670 receiving yards and 136 rushing yards. Sports Info Solutions rated Pearsall better by roughly five points, thanks to those early-season big plays.
What are realistic expectations for Pearsall in 2026?
Let’s raise the bar for Ricky in 2026. How about a Brandon Aiyuk 2022 season? BA had 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns that season. If Ricky can play all 17 games, it’s not a stretch to think he can produce his first 1,000-yard season as a pro. We believe the additions of Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Christian Kirk will help Pearsall around him by taking away coverage and opening up things for the third-year pro all over the field.
Is that too much to ask? It’s a big year for Pearsall. Year 3 is when you’re talking about extending your first-rounder. Instead, the 49ers may be asking themselves whether they want to pick up his fifth-year option. A healthy, productive season will go a long way toward the 49ers’ success in 2026.
If not, we might be having a difficult conversation about Pearsall this time next year.
