San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall admitted this week that he wasn't targeted as often as he had hoped during his rookie NFL season, possibly contributing to a slow start. This suggests the young receiver often felt open but wasn't seeing the ball come his way.
Of course, NFL wideouts frequently believe they're open. Still, the connection between quarterback Brock Purdy and Pearsall started to click late in the season. That growth was on full display during Pearsall's breakout Week 17 performance against the Detroit Lions, where he hauled in 10 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with six catches for 69 yards and another score in the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals—even with Purdy sidelined for that game.
On Friday, Purdy shed light on why Pearsall wasn't more involved early in the season while adjusting to the NFL—after recovering from being shot in the chest before Week 1, forcing him to miss the first six games.
"In our offense, it's usually steps, timing, you're breaking at a certain angle, and Ricky, last year, he was raw with his talent," Purdy explained. "He had it, but he also had to learn our system, our timing, where I'm throwing the ball. He's got a lot of shimmy and stuff, which is great. We need that, specifically against man coverage and stuff to create separation, and we love that.
"But I think that there were some times where he had to learn, like, hey, dude, you can't take a couple more steps, and then break out. I need you there now. I need to get the ball out now. We had a couple of those moments and stuff. There were times where he took it a little deeper, and then broke open. He was like, 'Dude, I was open.' I said, 'In the timing of the play, I needed it quicker.'"
Purdy emphasized that those timing adjustments are a natural part of a quarterback and receiver developing chemistry in the NFL.
"So, we had moments like that, and that's part of getting to the NFL, and learning the system," Purdy said, "and a quarterback and a receiver talking and getting to know each other. I feel like it has gotten better, for sure, over the last year or so."
Pearsall finished his rookie campaign with 31 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns. He's eager to carry his late-season momentum into the 2025 season and become a consistent contributor in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
"I think towards the end of the last season, you saw Ricky come out of his shell," Purdy noted. "He was playing within our system and timing. So, he is going to continue to learn who he is as a receiver, and what his strengths are and stuff, and I'm going to continue to learn with him, and that excites me. I think we've gotten some pretty good work so far, and we're just going to continue to chip away at it."
