Report: Ricky Pearsall expected to return to San Francisco practice on Monday

Former Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall will reportedly return to practice for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on his expected return, which comes after a shoulder injury sidelined him for much of the team’s preseason preparations. The 49ers have been besieged by injuries at key positions including receiver.

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Ricky Pearsall has dealt with multiple ailments since being selected at the end of the first round in the 2024 NFL Draft.

He was initially sidelined by a hamstring injury but recovered and returned to camp for a few days. When he did, he impressed, drawing comment from coach Kyle Shanahan.

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Shanahan pointed out there’s a lot more to playing receiver than simply catching passes, but that’s something Ricky Pearsall already understands as a rookie.

“Just because the ball gets thrown to them doesn’t mean they did good or bad always,” Shanahan said. “You get zoned 80% of the time out there. I didn’t realize he didn’t catch a pass, but when I get in there, I’m going watch him run at least 16 routes during plays. So, you expect everyone to catch it when it comes to you. So that really doesn’t affect me in terms of like what we see from a practice, but it’s been cool watching him in the run game.

“He definitely understands our standard. It’s not someone we have to call in and be like, we need more. He gets it. He’s doing everything he can and just continuing to get more reps.”

San Francisco needs Ricky Pearsall in a major way, especially given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding top wideout Brandon Aiyuk.

Should Aiyuk be traded or not suit up for the season opener, there will be opportunities aplenty for receivers like Pearsall.

Prior to entering the 2024 NFL Draft, Pearsall spent five years in college — three at Arizona State and two at Florida. He tallied 159 catches for 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns.

His best season was his last with the Gators, where Ricky Pearsall racked up 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns.