Ricky Pearsall came out of the gates this season looking every bit like the breakout star the 49ers hoped for when they made him a first-round pick in 2024. Through the first three games of 2025, he was among the league’s most productive receivers, racking up 16 catches for 281 yards and making it clear he belonged in the NFL.
But since returning from a six-game absence due to a knee injury, Pearsall’s stat sheet has gone quiet. Just five catches for 20 yards over the past three games - despite being on the field for nearly 80 percent of the 49ers’ offensive snaps.
To some, that might look like a red flag. To Kyle Shanahan? Not so much.
“How I look at a guy is how do they block? How do they run their routes?
Are they beating man coverage? Are they getting into the right spots?”
Shanahan said during a recent interview on 49ers Game Plan. “We grade a guy for every play.
I’m usually pretty unaware of the stats.”
That’s vintage Shanahan - focused on the tape, not the box score. And when it comes to Pearsall, the film tells a different story than the numbers.
Shanahan compared a receiver’s production to a baseball shortstop’s fielding chances. If the ball doesn’t come your way, you don’t get the opportunity - but that doesn’t mean you’re not doing your job.
Pearsall’s return to the lineup came in Week 11 against Arizona, where he didn’t record a catch. In Week 12 against Carolina, Shanahan said the rookie did what was asked of him, but a few minor miscues - timing, execution, ball placement - kept him off the stat sheet. According to Shanahan, if things had gone just a bit differently, Pearsall could’ve easily topped 100 yards and found the end zone a couple of times.
That’s not coach-speak. It’s a reflection of how the 49ers evaluate performance internally.
Shanahan and his staff don’t just watch the ball - they evaluate every route, every read, every block. And Pearsall, by those standards, is still earning his snaps.
He continues to line up alongside Jauan Jennings as one of San Francisco’s top two wideouts, ahead of veterans Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson. That playing time isn’t handed out lightly - it’s earned.
And while fans might be wondering why the production hasn’t returned yet, Shanahan made it clear there’s no concern about Pearsall’s effort or execution.
“Now, if there’s a number of times we’ve gone to him in man and he’s getting beat and not getting open, if he’s got a number of drops, if he’s busting his routes and not getting to the right spots - those are all things that need to change in order to improve your numbers,” Shanahan said. “But sometimes it just ebbs and flows like that.”
That’s the reality of life as an NFL receiver. Sometimes the matchups, the coverage, or the game plan just don’t flow your way. But when a rookie is still logging major snaps and drawing praise from one of the league’s most detail-oriented coaches, it’s a strong sign the trust is still there.
And for Pearsall, the numbers may not be popping right now - but if Shanahan’s confidence is any indication, it’s only a matter of time before they do.