The NFL season is just over a month away, and the San Francisco 49ers already had to make an unfortunate decision involving wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
Pearsall has continued dealing with a lingering knee injury that he originally suffered in 2025 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Just two practices into training camp, Pearsall experienced swelling in the knee, and on Saturday, 49ers general manager John Lynch provided an update.
Pearsall Getting Surgery on Knee
Lynch revealed that Pearsall will undergo PCL surgery, and the 49ers will place him on season-ending injured reserve. It’s brutal news for Pearsall, who was entering his third NFL season hoping to take another step forward, and for a 49ers offense that was counting on him to play a key role.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pearsall and the team had lengthy discussions with doctors about possible ways to get him back on the field this season. Ultimately, they determined that returning this year wasn’t worth the risk.
Lynch also revealed that Pearsall is expected to make a full recovery and return for the 2027 season.
After lengthy discussions with doctors, 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is expected to undergo season-ending surgery on the nagging PCL injury that dates back to last season and be out for the year, John Lynch told reporters. Pearsall is expected to make a full recovery in… pic.twitter.com/JzS0yG4uce
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 1, 2026
Pearsall’s NFL Career
Pearsall has appeared in just 20 games across his first two NFL seasons, with nine of those coming in 2025.
He recorded 36 receptions for 528 yards and zero touchdowns last season, averaging 14.7 yards per reception and 58.7 yards per game.
However, the 49ers expected Pearsall to play a much larger role this season, with the potential to enter training camp as the No. 2 wide receiver on the depth chart.
49ers Offense Now
With Pearsall sidelined for the season, the 49ers quickly found a replacement for his role by agreeing to a deal with free agent wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who spent the first six years of his NFL career in San Francisco.
The wide receiver room will now be led by Samuel, Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and likely rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, who should enter the season as one of the top four options on the depth chart.
San Francisco 49ers Announce Brutal Ricky Pearsall News Before NFL Season