With the departure of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk likely to miss some games as he comes back from a torn ACL, the San Francisco 49ers' clear top two wide receivers early in the 2025 season are lined up to be Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
While Jennings should not be overlooked, Pearsall has been the subject to more buzz as a breakout candidate for this year. His rookie season was set off course early when he shot during a robbery attempt last August, then he had the ups and downs a rookie wide receiver would tend to have.
But a strong finish, highlighted by eight receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in Week 17, has hopes high for his second season. Getting in some extra work with quarterback Brock Purdy this offseason will only help.
ESPN analyst highlights biggest question regarding breakout for Ricky Pearsall in 2025
ESPN's Ben Solak took a look at second-year wide receivers in the NFL, from the highest 2024 draft picks at the top of the heap to some interesting lower-end names, while posing a big question for each.
For Pearsall, the question is easy to overlook but absolutely pertinent:
"Does he have Kyle Shanahan's trust yet?"
"It usually takes time for rookie 49ers receivers. Neither Deebo Samuel Sr. nor Brandon Aiyuk were overnight sensations for Shanahan, and the same arc should be expected for Pearsall, especially when you consider the time he sat out because of injury in his rookie year. Pearsall had one splashy game against the Lions late last season, but he otherwise stayed quiet on the stat sheet. I will say: The film shows a high-caliber route runner who should excel in this offense, once his number finally starts getting called."
That 141-yard outing against the Lions was the unquestioned highlight of Pearsall's abbreviated rookie season. But he had two other games where he topped 65 yards with a touchdown, and two other games besides those where he had four catches, so to say he "otherwise stayed quiet on the stat sheet" is a bit unfair.
Aiyuk being injured during his Week 7 NFL debut was surely a factor, but Pearsall also appeared to have Shanahan's trust right off the bat. He had at least a 64-percent snap share in two of his first three games last season, and in seven of his 11 games overall.
While it's easy to lightly question the narrative, the question posed by Solak about Pearsall does need a fuller answer and it's the biggest thing that could get in the way of a breakout season for him in 2025.
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