T
he San Francisco 49ers fell for the first time in 2025 to drop to 3-1 on the young season after a week four loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the game is not the only thing that the 49ers lost. Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers‘ first round pick in 2024, left the game against the Jaguars early with a knee injury and did not return, sparking concerns about his availability for the team’s week five game against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
The injury did not look serious, with Pearsall providing an update after the game on Sunday. But on Monday, more news regarding Pearsall’s injury came out that really puts his week five availability in doubt. Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the media on Monday morning and suspects that Pearsall has a minor PCL injury.
The Injury
During the third quarter of the 49ers‘ 26-21 loss, Pearsall went up for a catch on the sideline but after landing hard on the ground trying to keep himself inbounds, he stayed down on the ground briefly before slowly getting up and limping to the sideline. Heading to the medical tent to be examined, Pearsall was listed as questionable to return– ultimately remaining out for the rest of the afternoon.
Heading into the game, Pearsall was already deemed questionable with a knee injury– sparking questions as to whether Pearsall re-aggravated the old injury or sustained a new one. During the week leading up to the game, the second-year wideout out of Florida did not participate in Wednesday’s practice and was limited on both Thursday and Friday. Pearsall has emerged as the 49ers top receiver to start this season, with Deebo Samuel traded to the Washington Commanders over the offseason and veteran Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season. Jauan Jennings, the 49ers‘ other top pass catcher, has dealt with injuries of his own that have kept him from playing how he did in 2024.
Shanahan’s Comments on Pearsall
When Shanahan spoke to the media on Monday, he expressed optimism that Pearsall’s injury was not too serious, but did not say whether or not he would play on Thursday. In fact, Shanahan alluded to the short week as being a possible reason for keeping Pearsall out and getting him ready for the next game.
Kyle Shanahan said Ricky Pearsall still must get his knee checked out but that the initial suspicion is that it’s a ‘minor’ PCL injury,” Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported. His and Jauan Jennings‘ status for Thursday is up in the air.
The injuries for the 49ers are already starting to pile up and with the roster experiencing major turnover this offseason, having guys healthy is the key to a successful season. But if both Pearsall and Jennings miss the 49ers’ week five matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, it could be a major blow to the franchise’s playoff aspirations– hoping that after a disappointing 2024 season, they can return to being Super Bowl contenders.
49ers Worried that Ricky Pearsall has PCL Injury