49ers Place Pearsall on Season-Ending IR
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- Ricky Pearsall was placed on season-ending injured reserve by the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday due to a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury in his right knee, with GM John Lynch saying surgery will come in the next couple of weeks.
- Lynch outlined Pearsall's recovery timeline at 6-12 months, calling nine months the potential sweet spot for a return to action.
- Pearsall first injured the PCL in Week 4 of last season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 28, costing him all or parts of 10 games; the 49ers and Pearsall opted against surgery in the offseason in favor of rest and rehab, but swelling after training camp forced a change of course.
- After just three training camp practices, Pearsall's third NFL season is over before it began — a pivotal year for the 2024 first-round pick who had finished last season with 36 receptions for 528 yards and zero touchdowns across 10 games.
- The 49ers signed wide receiver Deebo Samuel to a one-year deal to fill Pearsall's roster spot, though Lynch said the team was aiming to bring Samuel back regardless of Pearsall's status.
- Deebo Samuel, originally a second-round pick by San Francisco in the 2019 draft and a focal point of the offense until he was traded to the Washington Commanders in the 2025 offseason, returns to the franchise less than a year later.
Why it matters: The 49ers lose a 2024 first-round wideout before his third season even starts, forcing them to turn to Deebo Samuel — drafted by San Francisco in 2019 and traded away just last offseason — to stabilize a receiver room now grappling with Pearsall's recurring PCL issue that first surfaced in Week 4 of last season.
