Ricky Pearsall’s 2026 season is over before it started. The San Francisco 49ers placed the third-year wide receiver on season-ending injured reserve Saturday, general manager John Lynch told reporters, clearing the way for surgery on a right knee that never fully cooperated after last year’s PCL injury.
The move was first confirmed via the NFL’s official X account, which posted the news alongside a graphic marking Pearsall as out for the season. Multiple credentialed reporters quickly followed with additional detail.
What Happened to Ricky Pearsall
Pearsall’s knee trouble traces back to a posterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered during the 2025 season, an injury that cost him six games and never fully settled down even after he returned to the field. The 49ers and Pearsall opted against surgery in the offseason, betting that rest and rehab would get him back to full strength for 2026.
That bet didn’t pay off. According to ESPN, Pearsall dealt with renewed swelling just a few days into training camp, prompting the team to say Wednesday it had “concern” and was exploring “all options.” By Saturday, the decision was made.
“You obviously are doing your due diligence,” Lynch said, per 49ers Webzone. “We reevaluated after the season, and the consensus was that that wasn’t the step to take. He did well throughout the offseason, ran into some other road bumps.”
49ers place WR Ricky Pearsall on season-ending injured reserve. pic.twitter.com/L38UUvrJTj
— NFL (@NFL) August 1, 2026
Why the Knee Wouldn’t Cooperate
PCL injuries are notoriously stubborn. Unlike an ACL tear, which almost always needs surgical repair, a PCL sprain often heals on its own with rest — which is exactly why the 49ers waited. Lynch made that reasoning explicit.
“Most (PCL injuries) resolve themselves without surgery,” Lynch said, according to 49ers Webzone. “Unfortunately, Ricky’s did not.”
Pearsall ramped up his training in the weeks before camp without issue, Lynch said, but the physical grind of actual practice reps brought the swelling right back. Recovery time for PCL surgery typically runs six to 12 months, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, with the “sweet spot” landing closer to nine months — timing that points toward Pearsall being ready well before the 2027 season opens.
A Snakebitten Start to His Career
Pearsall’s rookie year began with trauma that had nothing to do with football. San Francisco’s 2024 first-round pick (No. 31 overall) was shot during an attempted robbery near Union Square days after the draft, an injury that landed him on the reserve/non-football injury list before he’d played a single NFL snap.
He fought through that to have flashes of real production. Pearsall opened the 2025 season strong, topping 100 receiving yards in two of San Francisco’s first three games, before the PCL injury derailed his momentum. He finished last season with 36 catches for 528 yards and no touchdowns across nine regular-season games, adding nothing in a season-ending divisional-round loss to Seattle while playing hurt.
| Season | Games | Receptions | Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (rookie) | 11 | 31 | 400 | 3 |
| 2025 | 9 | 36 | 528 | 0 |
| Career total | 20 | 67 | 928 | 3 |
Across his first two NFL seasons, Pearsall has already missed 14 games to injury — a brutal number for a player the 49ers hoped would anchor their receiver room for the next decade.
Deebo Samuel Fills the Void
San Francisco didn’t wait around. The team officially signed Deebo Samuel to a one-year contract the same day it placed Pearsall on IR, reuniting with the receiver it traded to Washington back in the 2025 offseason. Samuel spent one year with the Commanders, catching 72 passes for five touchdowns, before returning to the only NFL home he’d known from 2019 through 2024.
Lynch made clear the Samuel move wasn’t a last-minute scramble; the front office had been eyeing a reunion regardless of how Pearsall’s knee shook out. With Pearsall sidelined, San Francisco’s receiver room now runs through Samuel, Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson heading into Week 1.
What’s Next
The 49ers still have a fifth-year option decision looming on Pearsall next offseason, a call that becomes trickier after back-to-back injury-shortened seasons. For now, the team’s focus is simpler: get him through surgery and rehab, and hope the 2027 version of Pearsall looks like the player who opened last season on fire before his knee had other plans.
