The San Francisco 49ers are in a three-team battle atop the NFC West division with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, and while they are in third place among these teams, they still currently hold the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture. Every game will be important for the Niners from here on out, but they have looked the part of a postseason contender for much of the year.
That San Fran is even in the playoff hunt amid all the injury woes they have dealt with is impressive. They have gotten several key players back as of late, with one member of that crew being second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. However, since returning to action, Pearsall has been nearly invisible, which led offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak to recently address the talented playmaker’s lack of involvement in the passing game.
Klay Kubiak Opens Up on Ricky Pearsall’s Lack of Production
Klay Kubiak on Ricky Pearsall
A first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Pearsall flashed his potential late in his rookie season, leading the team to believe he would become a key piece of their passing attack this season. Sure enough, in his first three games, Pearsall caught 16 passes for 281 yards, as he seemed to be on track for a breakout campaign.
Since then, though, Pearsall has just nine catches for 66 yards. He missed time with a PCL injury, but since getting back on the field, he’s been practically invisible. With Brandon Aiyuk’s time in San Francisco set to come to an end, there certainly isn’t a lack of targets to go around, but for whatever reason, Pearsall has been a non-factor as of late.
Considering the lack of other reliable playmakers at the wide receiver position, Pearsall’s usage has been a bit of an eye-opening development. Kubiak doesn’t appear to be concerned, though, as he simply believes the game scripts haven’t gone Pearsall’s way as of late, which simply will not be the case every week.
“It’s circumstantial. Every game is different,” Kubiak said of Pearsall’s lack of production. “Ricky’s not doing a thing wrong. He’s practicing his butt off. He’s competing; he looks good. That’s football sometimes. That’s the life of a receiver. Sometimes the ball comes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. Just keep your head down, keep playing, and good things tend to happen.”
49ers Hoping Titans Matchup Leads to Ricky Pearsall Bounce-Back Game
Steph Chambers/GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 07: Ricky Pearsall #1 of the San Francisco 49ers in action during the NFL 2025 game between San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on September 07, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
For what it’s worth, Pearsall’s streak of quiet games hasn’t impacted the 49ers negatively, as they have managed to rattle off three straight wins, even without their talented wide receiver doing much. If the team intends on going on a deep playoff run, though, they are going to need Pearsall to get on the same page with Brock Purdy under center.
This duo will have a great opportunity to link up with each other in Week 15, as they have a matchup against the two-win Tennessee Titans on their hands. Assuming all goes according to plan, this is a game the 49ers should win, regardless of whether or not Pearsall gets involved. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kubiak dial up a few plays for him, though, when these two teams square off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
49ers OC Klay Kubiak Reveals True Reason for Ricky Pearsall’s Quiet Games