The San Francisco 49ers traded their long-time star wide receiver, Deebo Samuel, to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round draft pick back in March. Now, fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Ricky Pearsall step into his role.
The 49ers made the trade partly because they believe in young Ricky Pearsall. They even gave him the old No. 1 jersey that Deebo used to wear. However, it seems we won’t see Pearsall in action anytime soon.
On Thursday, the Niners announced that Pearsall has a hamstring injury and probably won’t be back at practice until training camp starts.
Looking ahead, one of the players expected to take on a bigger role is sophomore wide receiver Pearsall. In fact, he seems eager to show he’s ready for the 2025 season by changing his jersey number from No. 14 to No. 1.
Pearsall wore No. 1 during his college days at Florida, which is why he quickly took the chance to wear it after Samuel’s departure. During his rookie season with San Francisco, Pearsall started only four games but made an impact when he played, gaining 400 yards and scoring three touchdowns after recovering from a gunshot wound suffered during an attempted robbery.
In 2024, Pearsall played in 11 games for the Niners, but it was clear that he needed time to recover after being shot. The 49ers had a tough season, ending up last in the NFC West with a record of 6-11.
Pearsall hopes to improve in his second year and help the team return to winning again… eventually.
