Ricky Pearsall’s 2026 season is already on ice, and Kyle Juszczyk made sure his teammate heard something uplifting after the news broke.
The 49ers will be without Pearsall because he is scheduled to have surgery on the PCL injury he dealt with last season. He spent the offseason trying to let it heal in hopes of being ready, but that plan never came together. As a result, Pearsall will have played only 20 games across three seasons.
On Monday, Juszczyk was asked during his press conference whether he had reached out to Pearsall after learning about the surgery. He said he had, and he didn’t hide how much he feels for the receiver.
“It’s just really unfortunate with how things have played out for him,” said Juszczyk. “I feel for him so hard because I know it's frustration.
He knows that he can be a really good wide receiver in the NFL. And he’s shown it.
He’s had some incredible games, but he’s just been held back by these injuries in the NFL. I know how that feels.
“You just want to show the world that ‘I can do this,’ but it keeps getting taken from him. I just try to tell him that his story’s not over. He’s gonna go get it fixed this year, and he’ll come back next year healthy, nothing to restrict him, and he can go out there and do what he knows he can.”
For Pearsall, the setback adds another difficult chapter to a career that has already been slowed by injuries. He had hoped 2026 would finally be the year he stayed on the field, produced, and lived up to his first-round status. Instead, he’s headed into another lost season, and the questions around his durability aren’t going anywhere.
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