It’s happening, San Francisco 49ers fans, it’s finally happening: after months of anticipation, first-round rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
That’s right, after an encouraging summer overshadowed by Brandon Aiyuk drama and quite literally being shot in a robbery attempt gone wrong, Pearsall looks primed to make his NFL debut and help Brock Purdy as one of the best WR3 options in the NFL.
Discussing his return to the field and how he could impact the 49ers moving forward, Purdy celebrated Pearsall in his Week 7 media availability, noting that he should be an immediate weapon in man coverage.
“He’s doing a really good job, obviously being back and just bringing the juice, going really fast in and out of his cuts and creating some really good separation. And so, obviously, we drafted him in the first round, and he’s got a lot of potential. And yeah, for him to get in and actually be a part of our offense, not just a young guy that’s trying to learn his way, but actually trying to make an impact pretty like early on, for me, I love it,” Purdy told reporters.
“It’s another great option and another part of our offense. And so, I think obviously tomorrow we’ll go through our red zone plan and stuff, but to answer your question, 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.”
Facing off against a Chiefs team that knows a thing or two about how to play Kyle Shanahan’s offense, getting a player like Pearsall, who is big, fast, and effective, should make life easier for Purdy in the routine passing game and especially in the red zone, where players of his size typically thrive. While only time will tell what kind of packages Shanahan has planned for his first-round wideout, it’s safe to say fans will be incredibly excited to see what he brings to the table in live NFL action.
The 49ers are “pumped” to have Ricky Pearsall back on the field
In his own media session before Week 7, Shanahan, too was asked about how it feels to have Pearsall back in the swing of things after six weeks on the sidelines as he recovered from injury. Though at the time he wasn’t yet “officially” a go for Week 7 during his final media session, San Francisco’s head coach revealed just how excited his players are to get Pearsall back on the field, as his comeback story has really galvanized the troops.
“The guys are pumped. He’s been around the guys for a while now, so it’s not like he hasn’t been around, but practicing all week,” Shanahan told reporters. ” It’s been great to see him out there. I think the guys were more real happy for him that he could get back and be a part of it. He’s had a hell of a week, and we’re just pumped to get him out there with us.”
Six months ago, fans openly debated what role Pearsall would play for the 49ers in 2024, be that WR2 without Aiyuk, as WR3 with him, or as more of a rotational player behind San Francisco’s long-time 1-2-3 punch. But now? Now, fans and his teammates alike just want to see Pearsall back on the field, doing what he loves for a living once more.
