Why 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall is at a Crossroads With His NFL Career

It's getting scary for Ricky Pearsall.

Dec 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) looks on in the first half against the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Any minute now, there will be news that San Francisco 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall will undergo surgery for his knee due to the PCL injury from last season.

At least, that's the expectation after the 49ers reunited with Deebo Samuel. The moment they signed him, they basically told everyone that Pearsall is unlikely to play in 2026.

It's brutal for him, but it's also a harsh reality that he's an injury-prone player. Pearsall needed to play this season to convince the 49ers to pick up his fifth-year option.

There's no way they do that now, which means 2027 will be the final year of Pearsall's contract. He will go from competing to keep his 49ers tenure alive to keeping his NFL career alive.

Pearsall's NFL career is at a crossroads

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) warms up before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pearsall has only managed to play 20 games through two seasons. Once he's ruled out for 2026, which I'll be shocked if he isn't, it will be 20 games in three seasons.

The entire league knows he cannot stay on the field. He needed 2026 to begin to separate himself from that narrative and to show that he can be impactful.

Now, he's nothing more than a "what if" player. Just imagine if he did play most of the 2026 season and did well. He would've had 2027 to string together two seasons of impressive performances.

He would've kept his NFL career from being in question. The only question raised would've been if he'll continue with the 49ers.

But now that he's poised to miss the 2026 season, if not most of it, he's at a crossroads with his NFL career. At this point, the 49ers have to be losing confidence in him.

Pearsall needs 2027 to not only be healthy but also perform at a high level. Asking for both seems like an impossible task for him, especially the health part.

Unfortunately, that's what he needs to keep his career alive. It's on life support now. He's bound to go from a prominent first-round draft pick to being a last-minute training camp addition in 2028.

Once that happens, his NFL career will essentially be cooked. He needs 2027 to go perfectly for him. It's the only way. Maybe even flashing for half of a season is enough.

There will be a few teams desperate enough to sign him, especially since he'll be cheap. There's no way Pearsall will cost much in free agency after 2028.

In any case, Pearsall missing the 2026 season is the worst-case scenario for him. This was a make-or-break season for him, and since he won't play, the latter has come to pass.

All eyes will be on 2027 to see if he can keep his career afloat.

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