As expected, Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut on Sunday. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Friday the first-round rookie wideout will be activated from the NFI list in time for Week 7.
“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 the media, via NFL.com’s Nick Shook. “It’s been great to see him out there. I think the guys were 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.”
The news does not come as a surprise since Pearsall began practicing this week. San Francisco had 21 days to activate him, but much less time than that will be required to bring him into the picture. The move confirms Pearsall’s impressive progress in recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in August as the victim of an attempted robbery.
The 24-year-old’s move to the NFI list confirmed he would miss at least the first four weeks of the campaign. The team understandably took a cautious approach with his rehab process, and now he is set to handle a rotational role in San Francisco’s passing game. Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are healthy, but fellow wideout Jauan Jennings will be sidelined for Week 7. That could allow Pearsall to log a notable workload in his debut.
The Arizona State and Florida product faces high expectations as the 49ers’ top pick in this month’s draft. Aiyuk is attached to a big-ticket deal, but Samuel has only one year (without guaranteed salary) left on his pact after 2024. That — coupled with the team’s other upcoming financial priorities, including a Brock Purdy extension — has led to speculation Samuel could be cut or traded this offseason. Moving on from him would position Pearsall to operate as a key, cost-controlled offensive playmaker for years to come.
In other injury news, Shanahan added kicker Matthew Wright will be placed on injured reserve. San Francisco’s Jake Moody replacement is dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered during his season debut, and an IR stint will sideline him for at least the next four games. Former Packer Anders Carlson was added to the practice squad in the wake of Wright’s injury, and he will be elevated Saturday to take on kicking duties for, potentially, the foreseeable future.
Bringing Pearsall onto the active roster will use up one of the 49ers’ in-season activations. They will now have six available, with a number of other players eligible to be brought off IR; that will be the case for Wright down the road, although by that point Moody may be fully healthy.
