The San Francisco 49ers couldn’t leave their injury issues from the 2025 NFL season behind, as even before the 2026 campaign begins, injuries hit the team, the most significant being to wideout Ricky Pearsall.
San Francisco placed the wide receiver on season-ending injured reserve Aug. 1 as he continues to deal with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. With Pearsall unavailable, San Francisco moved quickly to bring back a familiar face.
The 49ers agreed to a one-year deal with Deebo Samuel on July 30, giving the team another proven option in the receiving corps. The deal could be worth up to $7 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
On Aug. 8, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on playing the 2026 season without Pearsall.
“Losing Ricky was a real big deal,” Shanahan said (h/t 95.7 The Game). “We’ve had a number of injuries in camp, but that’s really the only one that’s actually been not just a camp injury. Losing a player like Ricky is a huge deal. It ties to everybody. So you’d hope for [De’Zhaun] Stribling, you’d hope for Mike [Evans], you’d hope for that whole group.
“You hope a lot of people have to step up, but no one here is wired exactly how Ricky is. They’re all a little bit different. So you do lose a big part of what we were planning on and that’s where guys do have to step up.”
49ers Will Need De’Zhaun Stribling to Elevate Game
“That’s what gets frustrating when guys like Stribling hurt, tweak a muscle and stuff,” Shanahan added. “You want guys to step up, but you have to train them to do it. They have to work to do it, and they have to be out there to be able to do it at an NFL level, which is coming real fast.”
Deebo Samuel Sends Strong Message to Ricky Pearsall
With Pearsall now needing to focus on getting healthy for the 2027 NFL season, Samuel issued a message to his teammate amid this challenging moment.
“The night whenever he got the news, he was a little frustrated, and I was like, ‘Bro, just keep your head up, man. Your time’s coming,'” Samuel told reporters on Aug. 1. “It’s just that he kind of had bad luck right now. There’s really nothing he can do about it. But overall, he’s shown what he’s capable of when he’s healthy, and I’m wishing him well with surgery and a quick recovery, for sure.”
Now, Samuel will need to replace the production the Niners were likely hoping to get from Pearsall this 2026 season. Last season with the Washington Commanders, Samuel played 713 total snaps, leading to a 69.4 overall PFF grade.
Furthermore, the veteran wideout hauled in 72 receptions on 99 targets for 727 receiving yards and five touchdowns while averaging 10.1 yards per reception and generating 471 yards after the catch.
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Gets Blunt on Ricky Pearsall Injury