49ers' Kyle Shanahan Explains Ricky Pearsall's Lack of Involvement

Rookie Ricky Pearsall had a breakout game in Week 10 for the 49ers and has been nonexistent ever since.

Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (14) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall exploded in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He was targeted seven times, reeling in four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. He looked like he was going to be one of the focal points for the San Francisco 49ers' offense moving forward. However, the complete opposite has happened.

In the 49ers' last three games, Pearsall has been targeted three times with zero catches. He's basically out there getting in cardio. It could be he's struggling to get open or Brock Purdy isn't seeing him. In any case, Kyle Shanahan isn't concerned with Pearsall's lack of involvement lately.

“I think Ricky got a little banged up in Green Bay, battled through that a lot, still was able to play a lot through it and helped us out at punt return," Shanahan said. "And I don't judge much from that Buffalo game. I think we had six completions that were screens and I think four other guys had like a four-yard catch except for Jauan [Jennings] on a skinny. There was nothing really with Ricky there. We had a chance to hit him downfield one time and he slipped, but that was nothing against him for that game.”

Shanahan not being worried about Pearsall is a good thing. It means he's not in the doghouse, which is common for rookies under Shanahan. It could also mean that he utilizes Pearsall going forward since he's been essentially absent for the last few games.

What is interesting is Shanahan said Pearsall got "banged up" against the Packers. The 49ers are elite at hiding injuries or playing them down. It's possible Pearsall is dealing with something that they aren't revealing. Remember, Pearsall was showing signs that he is injury-prone dating back to OTAs.

First, it was a shoulder injury, then it was a hamstring. Could it be one of those injuries has resurfaced? Or is it a new one? Or maybe it was only the Packers game he was battling in and was fine after?

Either way, he is a player that will be worth closely monitoring to see if there is anything bugging him.