San Francisco 49ers second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall would likely welcome anything different from how his rookie season started after being selected in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Florida.
After all, the receiver survived a gunshot wound in an attempted robbery last August right before the regular season began.
While nothing could possibly come as close to that life-threatening scare, Pearsall's 2025 campaign is already presenting some injury-related challenges, and he was noticeably absent from the open portion of organized team activities.
[Speaking to reporters](https://49ers.1rmg.com/transcripts/head-coach-kyle-shanahan-press-conference-5-29-25/) after the sessions, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Pearsall was dealing with a hamstring injury, although it's not believed to be serious.
"Ricky’s here," Shanahan responded when asked about the receiver's absence. "Ricky’s been awesome, but Ricky has a tweaked hamstring, so I’ll be surprised if he does anything in OTAs."
When pressed further, the head coach also added that Pearsall could theoretically return in time for mandatory minicamp, but there wouldn't be much to gain by putting him back on the field for such a short duration.
Ricky Pearsall's injury isn't good news, but it's not devastating either
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearsall is expected to make a significant leap in year two, especially after the Niners traded away wide receiver Deebo Samuel earlier this offseason and in light of likely having to shelve fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on an injury list to open up the regular season.
Alongside veteran Jauan Jennings, the hope is for Pearsall to pick up where he left off late last season when he emerged as a playmaking option for quarterback Brock Purdy, finishing his rookie year with 31 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns.
Getting reps with Purdy at the helm, even during less-intense OTA practices, would have been ideal.
But, not at the expense of further aggravating the injury. And, as Shanahan has repeatedly pointed out over the years, the actual ramp-up for the regular season begins with training camp later this summer. Not during padless practices like the ones going on right now.
If Pearsall was expected to be out until training camp, that'd be one thing. However, it sounds like San Francisco is opting to be more cautious with the receiver than anything else.
Hard to fault that, especially considering Pearsall's increased importance in 2025.
### Read more from Niner Noise