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Pearsall announced Thursday in a post on his personal Instagram account that he underwent season-ending surgery to repair the PCL in his right knee, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.
The procedure typically carries a wide-ranging recovery timeline of 6-to-12 months, so while Pearsall will be ruled out for the season, it's not clear if he'll be available for the start of the 49ers' offseason program next spring or the start of training camp next summer. The wideout will wind up having played in just 20 of a possible 51 regular-season contests and one of two playoff games through his first three NFL campaigns, missing time as a rookie while recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest before being hampered by the PCL injury off and on in 2025. He'll turn 27 in September and will be entering the final season of his rookie contract in 2027.
49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Lengthy rehab with little precedent
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Pearsall (knee) is one of the few prominent athletes to have surgery on an isolated PCL injury, making it difficult to set expectations for rehab length or a potential return to pre-injury form, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Prem Ramkumar told the San Francisco Chronicle that there's not enough data on similar surgeries to confidently predict whether Pearsall will regain his pre-injury form in 2027. That also explains why rehab estimates have been so broad, with one report suggesting "6-12 months" as the timeline for Pearsall's return. Having undergone surgery in early August, the wideout has 13 months to prepare for Week 1 of 2027 -- right around the time he'll celebrate his 27th birthday.
49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Knee injury being evaluated
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San Francisco assistant head coach Chris Foerster said Friday that the team is "continuing to evaluate" Pearsall (knee) after the wide receiver aggravated the PCL issue in his right knee during early training camp practices, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Pearsall's injury has reportedly caused "concern" for the 49ers, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN, and the team is "exploring all options." As Barrows reports, surgery is being weighed among those options, though undergoing a procedure now could cost Pearsall the entire 2026 season. In the wake of Pearsall's ongoing evaluation, San Francisco signed veteran wideout Deebo Samuel to a one-year contract Tuesday. Christian Kirk (calf) is also managing an injury that has hampered his ability to practice during the early stages of camp.
49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Undergoing season-ending surgery
Rotowire
Pearsall was placed on injured reserve Saturday and will undergo season-ending PCL surgery on his right knee, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Pearsall was held out of the early portions of training camp due to knee swelling, and the injury had reportedly caused some concern for the 49ers. After undergoing further tests, season-ending surgery has been determined as the best move for Pearsall, and the procedure comes with a 6-to-12 month recovery timetable, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. It's a significant blow for the Florida product, who has played in just 20 regular-season games since being selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Deebo Samuel was signed by the Niners on Friday due to injuries to Pearsall and Christian Kirk (calf), and Demarcus Robinson and rookie second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling are both slated for more opportunities on offense alongside WR1 Mike Evans.
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49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Dealing with knee swelling
Rotowire
Pearsall (knee) is dealing with knee swelling in the early stages of training camp, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
Pearsall's swelling is in the same knee that caused him to deal with injuries during the 2025 season, Tafur reports, making this a situation worth monitoring. A healthy training camp would position Pearsall as a clear starter for the 49ers alongside new top wideout Mike Evans, but Pearsall has had issues staying on the field consistently to begin his NFL career. Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, there is some concern regarding the wideout's injury, with "all options" reportedly being explored by the team at this time.
The 49ers have some "concern" about Pearsall's latest knee issue and are "exploring all options" when it comes to what the next step will be in addressing it, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Pearsall didn't practice Wednesday because of swelling in the PCL in his right knee, and it remains to be seen when he'll be able to return to the field. It's an injury that the wideout has dealt with on and off since Week 4 of last season, and Wagoner suggests that surgical solutions may be explored to resolve the issue. For now, with Christian Kirk (calf) also missing practice, added WR reps behind Mike Evans are available for the likes of Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing and De'Zhaun Stribling.
49ers' Ricky Pearsall: Poised to start opposite Evans
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Pearsall is expected to enter training camp as San Francisco's starting wide receiver opposite Mike Evans, Kyle Madson of USA Today reports.
Pearsall is positioned for a significant role after injuries limited him to nine regular-season appearances in 2025. With Jauan Jennings having signed with the Vikings and Brandon Aiyuk seemingly out of the picture, the 25-year-old clearly projects as Brock Purdy's No. 2 wide receiver behind Evans. Christian Kirk is expected to handle slot duties, while rookie second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson provide depth, but it's Pearsall and Evans who project to see the field in 21 personnel sets, which the 49ers deployed at a league-high rate in 2025. A healthy season would position Pearsall for the biggest workload of his NFL career.
