Purdy impressed by Pearsall, who could make his NFL debut against the Chiefs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Coach Kyle Shanahan expected a longer ramp-up period for 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to be ready to make his NFL debut.
But Pearsall appeared to be putting himself in position to take the field on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium.
Quarterback Brock Purdy was impressed with what he saw from Pearsall on the 49ers practice field during three training sessions this week.
“He did a really good job, being back and just bringing the juice, getting in and out of his cuts really quickly and creating really good separation,” Purdy said Thursday of Pearsall.
“Obviously we drafted him in the first round and he has a lot of potential. For him to come in and actually be a part of our offense, not just a kid trying to learn his way, but to have an impact from the start, for me, I love that.
The 49ers selected Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after a season in which he caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns as a fifth-year senior at Florida.
Purdy said he believes Pearsall can be a “great option” in the 49ers passing game.
The fact that Pearsall is competing to prepare for Sunday’s game is remarkable in itself.
Eight weeks ago, Pearsall was the victim of a shooting during an attempted armed robbery in San Francisco.
During a fight with a 17 year old man from TracyPearsall was shot in the right side of the chest. The bullet passed through his back without hitting any bones or vital organs. He spent less than 24 hours in the hospital.
The 49ers placed Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list at the start of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Pearsall recently regained full range of motion in his right arm and I returned to practice Monday.
Pearsall has looked good in practice and his presence could be needed at wide receiver Jauan Jennings’ availability in question due to a hip injury.
Jennings did not practice this week and Deebo Samuel was limited with a wrist injury.
The 49ers will install their red zone scheme on Friday, and Purdy suggested Pearsall could provide Shanahan with another good option.
“When you have a guy like Ricky who can win man-on-man matchups and also pave the way for other guys, that’s always a good thing,” Purdy said. “I can’t wait to see what he does.”
