The San Francisco 49ers seemingly selected a wide receiver in the first round of April’s draft in anticipation of potentially replacing Brandon Aiyuk. San Francisco drafted Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick with a known shoulder injury that has now become known publicly.
Veteran columnist, Michael Silver, went on KNBR radio in San Francisco letting the cat out of the bag about the injury.
"Pearsall...has a shoulder thing that is now recurring and I think worrying over the long haul - something they knew about before they drafted him and were hoping wouldn't be a thing..." Silver said.
If there is reason for the Niners to worry over Pearsall’s shoulder, this couldn’t come at a worse time as the team sits deadlocked in a contract dispute with Aiyuk. With no deal in place, Aiyuk could end up sitting out games to begin the season. And Pearsall has missed most of training camp while also sitting out the team’s preseason games.
Should the Pearsall injury be more than meets the eye, which puts Kyle Shanahan and general manager, John Lynch in a tough spot. While the big wigs play hardball, they have a first-round receiver dealing with what sounds like a lingering shoulder “thing” and another that could hold out to start the 2024 campaign if they cannot come to terms fast.
What’s most alarming about this news is that the 49ers were aware of the injury and still spent a first-round pick on Pearsall. Many times, players will fall in the draft because of such injuries, so it’s safe to say Shanahan/Lynch must see something special in him.
One thing that likely worked in Pearsall’s favor is that the injury is of the upper body variety. Had he been suffering from a lower extremity injury heading into the draft, the team may have passed in the first and snagged Pearsall later if he’d still been available.
With the Niners finishing the preseason in Las Vegas against the Raiders, they’ll have a little over two weeks to figure things out before the season opener with the New York Jets. The 49ers could be down two receiving threats for Brock Purdy against a Jets defense that most think will be incredibly good.
