It’s official.
Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will be active when the San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Pearsall has managed to be a full participant in every practice this week for the 49ers. He’s responded so well that the 49ers are comfortable with activating him
His return to practice has given the 49ers a boost this week. They have been ecstatic with his return after his unfortunate shooting incident over a month ago. Pearsall has essentially been adding fuel to the flame for the 49ers in their buildup for the Chiefs.
“He’s doing a really good job, obviously being back and just bringing the juice, going really fast in and out of his cuts and creating some really good separation,” said Brock Purdy. “And so, obviously we drafted him in the first round and he’s got a lot of potential. And yeah, for him to get in and actually be a part of our offense, not just a young guy that’s trying to learn his way, but actually trying to make an impact pretty like early on, for me, I love it.”
Jauan Jennings will not be active against the Chiefs. That means Pearsall could see a healthy workload in his debut. When that does happen, Pearsall can help the 49ers improve on offense. The reason they drafted him in the first place was because of how smooth he is as a route runner.
The 49ers wanted another receiver who could separate at will and not be reliant on a scheme. When the 49ers played the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, they were exposed to man-to-man coverage. They couldn’t find any efficiency with their receivers struggling to break free of the coverage. Pearsall can do that.
His addition should aid Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in those situations. Either he will allow them to see a larger impact, or he will utilize those opportunities himself. Another area in which Pearsall can help the offense is in the red zone. A lot of fades or quick shots have been called by the 49ers there unsuccessfully. Having a separator like Pearsall should change that.
“It’s another great option and another part of our offense,” said Purdy. “And so, I think obviously tomorrow we’ll go through our red zone plan and stuff, but to answer your question, when you’ve got a guy like Ricky that can win man-to-man matchups and then also open up some other guys too, that’s always a good thing. So, I’m excited to see what he does.”
As exciting as it will be to see Pearsall debut, the expectations must not be high. His workload might not be a full plate. The 49ers will not want to risk an injury with him. He also has no idea how fast the game is. This is where missing the preseason will hurt him. Time will be required for him to make his greatest impact, but there is a chance he can foreshadow what is to come against the Chiefs.
Once he does become adjusted, he will be a great help to the 49ers’ offense.
Read More: 49ers Need to Feature Offensive Star Against the Chiefs
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