During the 2025 season, 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall consistently battled a PCL injury in his knee, missing a total of seven games from the setback. At San Francisco’s first day of open practice on Wednesday, July 29, Pearsall was not active, stemming from swelling in his knee.
After being plagued by that same PCL injury a season ago, panic is already setting in for the 49ers faithful. Brandon Aiyuk continues to sit out, meaning a prominent role is awaiting Pearsall, similar to last season.
Let’s look at the latest Ricky Pearsall injury update. If it’s a long-term absence, how does it shift the 49ers’ receiver room and season?
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Ricky Pearsall News: 49ers Wide Receiver Battling Knee Injury
During the 2025 season, Pearsall suffered a PCL injury in his knee vs. the Jaguars in Week 4. That held him out until Week 11, as he missed six games during the span.
It didn’t take long to reaggravate the injury, with the former Florida Gator playing in only three games before missing Week 16 from the injury. He was active again in Week 17 but then sat out the final regular season game vs. the Seahawks.
Matt Maiocco, a 49ers insider, detailed that Pearsall and the franchise decided to let his PCL injury heal on its own throughout the offseason. After participating in a pair of training camp practices, the knee injury quickly flared, as Pearsall began to experience swelling in his knee due to the same PCL injury.
Knee surgery could be on the board now, and that may mean missing the 2026 season. Nick
Wagoner of ESPN also reported on the situation, stating the team said “all options” are being explored.
Pearsall could be in line to miss extended time, and if that’s the case, that takes away one of the 49ers’ top targets.
Over 11 games in the 2025 season, Pearsall logged a healthy 19.6% target share and a 47.2% deep target share (fifth-highest), per PlayerProfiler. His role in the downfield attack was further backed by a 13.9 average target distance (aDOT), which finished 11th.
According to PrizePicks Team Picks, the 49ers have a 1.42x payout to reach 9+ wins and a 1.58x payout to total 10+ wins in the 2026 season. The sky is not falling in San Francisco, but how could the 49ers maintain success if Pearsall has another long-term absence?
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Ricky Pearsall Injury, Deebo Samuel Signing Impact on 49ers, Fantasy Football
The 49ers signed WR Mike Evans during the offseason, and that move is more crucial than ever. Pearsall could now miss time, Brandon Aiyuk continues to sit out, and WR Jauan Jennings departed by inking a deal with the Vikings.
Evans reached 1,000 receiving yards in 11 consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2024, but that streak came to a close with only 368 receiving yards over eight appearances last season. He turns 33 on August 21, meaning the Niners will likely need other contributors to step up.
On Thursday afternoon, San Francisco made a reunion with WR Deebo Samuel, agreeing to a one-year deal.
Since Deebo’s First Team All-Pro season with 1,405 receiving yards and 18.2 yards per catch in 2021, he hasn’t eclipsed 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons. Similar to Evans, the 30-year-old Samuel isn’t as effective as in his golden days.
San Francisco also required WR Christian Kirk on a one-year deal in March, but he’s currently battling a calf injury. Kirk hasn’t played in 14 games during a regular season since 2022.
As usual, RB Christian McCaffrey and TE George Kittle should continue to carry much of the receiving workload.
McCaffrey comes off an absurd 924 receiving yards — his highest mark since 1,005 yards in 2019. Kittle’s 628 receiving yards in 2025 were his lowest since his 2017 rookie campaign, but he played in only 11 games and still produced 11.0 yards per reception.
Evans, Kittle, and McCaffrey will likely take the bulk of the work. According to PrizePicks, Evans is projected 824.5 receiving yards for the 2026 season, and McCaffrey holds a 549.5-receiving yard projection.
For PPR (point per reception) leagues, FantasyPros’ consensus fantasy football draft rankings have McCaffrey tabbed as RB3, Kittle as TE10, and Evans as WR25. If you’re seeking a fantasy football sleeper, rookie WR De’Zhaun Stribling could be the benefactor if Pearsall is out for the longhaul.
Stribling was drafted 33rd overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, totaling 15.8 yards per reception over his final two collegiate seasons. He posted an electric 4.36-second 40-yard dash time at 6’2” and 207 pounds.
The former Ole Miss Rebel has already made some noise at camp. His skill set could become a direct replacement for Pearsall’s lofty aDOT and downfield work. If Pearsall remains out, keep an eye on Stribling’s fantasy football stock, as he’s currently only WR76 in consensus rankings.
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Pearsall quickly reaggravated his nagging PCL injury from last season, leading to doomsday speculation — such as season-ending surgery. If this becomes a long-term injury, look at Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle to see increased work, followed by the rookie De’Zhaun Stribling as a sleeper pick for fantasy football.
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