October 19th 2024.
On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will have another rookie making his debut against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ricky Pearsall Jr. will join the ranks of fellow rookies Christian McCaffery and Brock Purdy, who also made their debuts with the 49ers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been closely watching Pearsall in practice and has decided that he is ready to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
After officially being elevated from the non-football injury list on Saturday, Pearsall will be on the 53-man roster for Sunday's game. This decision was made after the 49ers placed kicker Matthew Wright on injured reserve and promoted kicker Anders Carlson and safety Jaylen Mahoney from the practice squad.
Shanahan acknowledges that throwing Pearsall into the mix this quickly is a leap of faith, but not as much of a leap as what he has already overcome. Prior to being shot in a robbery attempt in August, Pearsall was already dealing with a shoulder injury. This limited his time in training camp, but he has been studying and working hard to catch up. Shanahan is confident that Pearsall will continue to improve each week.
McCaffery and Purdy have similar experiences to Pearsall's fast debut. McCaffery was acquired by the 49ers just two years ago and managed to learn enough plays to play in their Week 7 game against the Chiefs. Purdy, a seventh-round pick, also made his debut in that game, replacing Jimmy Garoppolo in the last possession.
Now, 33 starts into his professional career, Purdy looks back on that day with a sense of amusement. He admits that his mind was moving quickly and it's funny to see how far he has come since then. Pearsall, on the other hand, is feeling a mix of emotions with his family and friends present for his debut.
The 49ers' leading wide receiver, Jauan Jennings, will be out with a hip injury, leaving Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk as the starters. Pearsall could potentially play the role of third receiver, a position that Jennings has excelled in. Shanahan has not yet decided how much Pearsall will be used, but he will continue to evaluate as the game unfolds.
In last year's Super Bowl against the Chiefs, Jennings was a potential MVP until Patrick Mahomes made a comeback, throwing a touchdown pass to McCaffery and catching a touchdown pass from Purdy. Aiyuk and Samuel were also targeted frequently, and the 49ers are hoping that Pearsall can provide some help in the red zone as well.
Pearsall has been practicing punt returns, but Shanahan doesn't see him taking on that role in the game. Instead, Jacob Cowing will be the active receiver along with Samuel, Aiyuk, and Pearsall. Chris Conley and Ronnie Bell are also available as a fifth receiver and special teams player.
Although Pearsall's debut is a big milestone, the 49ers didn't make a big deal out of it. As practice went on throughout the week, Pearsall knew that he would have a role in the game. There was no magical moment when he was told he would be playing, but the team has high hopes for him on Sunday.
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