Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) catches a pass during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Ricky Pearsall's Week 1 performance changes everything for the 49ers

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 1:00 PM ET

One of the most important questions facing the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 was what they would get from Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall effectively did very little as a rookie, but that was mostly expected. If one game is any indication of what can be expected in year two, the bar has been raised significantly.

Ricky Pearsall emerged from the San Francisco 49ers Week 1 win

Pearsall was not supposed to produce much as a rookie. He was the fourth receiver behind Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings. However, injuries to all three gave him some chances, and he was up and down with those reps. This is what led to bigger questions entering the year.

Pearsall had a strong preseason and took that momentum into Week 1 with an excellent performance, hauling in four passes for 108 yards.

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The 49ers needed him this year with Samuel gone, Aiyuk injured, and Jennings going through some issues as well. While San Francisco had their success with passes to the running backs and tight ends, Pearsall had all but 16 of the yards recorded by wide receivers in Week 1.

What was even better was that every Pearsall catch led to a scoring drive. Pearsall had two catches for 39 yards on the first drive that led to a touchdown. That included a key third-down conversion.

Pearsall had a 24-yard catch to flip the field on the drive that ended in a made field goal. He also had a 45-yard catch to put the 49ers into scoring range on their game-winning touchdown drive. When the 49ers got Pearsall the ball, they were in position to score and did.

This is a major development for the 49ers. The expectation was that he would replace Deebo Samuel, but this is not a gadget player. He is winning down the field with routes that create separation.

Amber Searls-Imagn Images

It is not that he is better than Samuel, but more that we are going to see a completely different version of the offense because of his unique skill set. His emergence can give the 49ers a breath of ease while Aiyuk recovers, and the depth is still thin.

However, when Aiyuk comes back, and Pearsall is playing like he did in Week 1, teams are going to have a hard time defending the 49ers' receivers. That does not get into the other weapons. Did the 49ers just unlock a completely new level to their offense?

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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