Brock Purdy's Connection with this 49ers Player is Key for 2026

This is something we'll see more of next season.

Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws downfield against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers are extremely lacking in offensive weapons for the 2026 season.

Brandon Aiyuk will leave, George Kittle will miss a large portion, if not all the season after his Achilles injury, DeMarcus Robinson is nothing more than a last resort as multiple other options enter free agency and it's uncertain who stays or goes.

Christian McCaffrey aside, the responsibility to make a difference next season currently falls on Ricky Pearsall. However, he has yet to truly have a breakout year after his first two seasons.

This year, Pearsall has dealt with injuries, but that shouldn’t define his 2026 campaign. He needs a full, healthy season, and the 49ers should utilize him whenever possible.

What Brock Purdy previously said about Ricky Pearsall

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

Purdy has always talked up what Pearsall adds on offense.

In 2025, across nine games, Pearsall went 528 yards from 36 receptions but no touchdowns. That includes one game where he had no zero yards gained.

“Ricky’s a baller, and he’s a footballer. He’s a guy that loves football. I’ve talked about this before, but the cool thing about Ricky is whenever we’re practicing, whether it’s routes on air, offseason stuff, even when we get back in team settings here, he’s always asking questions with how he can run his route or what he’s expecting from what the quarterback’s expecting from the receiver," said Purdy when speaking about Pearsall's strengths.

"He’s a guy that I can go and grow with. It’s not just a transactional relationship. It’s a thing that he really wants to dive deeper into this thing with his quarterback and get better together.

"So, I think that’s what I saw from him in the offseason. And he’s got the love for the game. He is not a guy that’s just doing it for what the game brings.

"He loves being out there, running routes, breaking off guys one-on-one and making a big play in front of everybody. Like, he loves it.

"He’s an authentic dude. So, I love playing football with him, but I feel like that’s sort of what I took away from working out with him.”

While this is certainly encouraging, Pearsall was brought in as a replacement for Deebo Samuel. It’s clear that he hasn’t yet fulfilled his potential, but his 2026 season should finally show why the 49ers chose to select him in the first round.

This is the perfect opportunity for the breakout season Pearsall has long been expected to have. The writing on the wall isn’t there yet, but he needs a full season to establish himself as one of the league’s top receivers.