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49ers’ Ricky Pearsall wants same Christian McCaffrey workload

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Allan Binoy, ClutchPoints | Last updated Nov 25, 2025 10:48 PM ET

Ricky Pearsall would very much like Christian McCaffrey’s problem. After the San Francisco 49ers ’ 20-9 Monday night win over the Carolina Panthers, Ricky Pearsall was asked about Christian McCaffrey piling up touches, more than 30 of them, in the primetime grind. The WR did not hide how he feels about that kind of workload.

“I would love 30 touches a game,” Ricky Pearsall said with a grin, before launching into a full-on love letter to his teammate’s usage. He called Christian McCaffrey “a really good football player” and basically asked, on behalf of the offense, why you would ever stop feeding him when success keeps following the ball in his direction.

Ricky Pearsall is very jealous of CMC getting 30 touches a game.

"That looks fun for him. I wish I could get that too."

pic.twitter.com/qL7CyeyAQU

— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) November 25, 2025

The numbers backed him up. Against his former team, Christian McCaffrey touched the ball 31 times, 24 carries for 89 rushing yards and a touchdown, plus seven catches for 53 yards, and finished with 142 yards from scrimmage. It was his 10th game this season with at least 100 scrimmage yards via the ESPN Box Score, and yet another night where the 49ers’ offense ran directly through No. 23.

It had to, because Brock Purdy put the defense on hard mode. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback threw three first-half interceptions and finished 23-of-32 for 193 yards with one touchdown and those three picks, forcing San Francisco’s defense to repeatedly bail the offense out. Ji’Ayir Brown snagged two interceptions, and the 49ers held the Carolina Panthers to 230 total yards and just 69 rushing yards on 13 attempts.

Ricky Pearsall, meanwhile, had a much lighter night in the box score. One carry for 2 yards and two catches for 6 yards on four targets. That is exactly why his answer landed the way it did.

The bigger question for San Francisco is how long it can keep leaning this hard on Christian McCaffrey. The running back is already carrying an MVP-level load again after an injury-riddled 2024 season, and the 49ers are in the middle of a tight NFC playoff race.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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