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The San Francisco 49ers have been hit hard with injuries to the wide receiver group heading into and through the first three games of the 2025 NFL season. With players missing, Ricky Pearsall has had the chance to step up and become a reliable target.

Pearsall recorded 400 receiving yards last season in 11 games for the 49ers, according to Pro Football Reference . The 25-year-old is close to reaching that mark in Year 2, having recorded 100-plus receiving yards in two of the three games he has played this season. His best performance came in the 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.

Amid Pearsall’s impressive start to the season, former 49ers quarterback Steve Young appeared on KNBR and revealed that he’s amazed by what he’s seen from the second-year receiver.

“He’s Steve Smith a little bit,” Young said. “I feel like he has body control, and he’s going to get open. It’s not going to be—like you said—explosive. It’s not like he comes out of the gate and it’s, ‘Oh, watch out.’ But he understands. I feel like he really understands the spatial relationships on the field.

“That’s something Brent Jones had in a huge way from a tight-end spot, really having a sense of all the people on the field, where they are, where they’re going, what’s going to happen, and how he can fit in. And that’s just a knack… But Ricky, as a quarterback, he’s going to be where you think he’s supposed to be. You know what I mean? He’s going to find that space, especially against zones.”

Ricky Pearsall Is Impressing 49ers Teammates

Against Arizona, Pearsall hauled in eight catches for 114 yards. Veteran Kendrick Bourne was one of the players impressed by his performance.

“Oh my goodness, man, he’s impressive,” Bourne said postgame (h/t KNBR ). “Just coming in, the energy was so connective between us, just dancing and enjoying each other.

“We made a handshake so fast. I’m just proud of him. I told him his conditioning, his stamina, is top-tier. If he can play like that he’s going to have a great career. He’s going to get paid a lot of money.”

49ers’ Ricky Pearsall Is Gaining Confidence

San Francisco selected Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and against Arizona, it was just another milestone in his professional journey. Every snap in a game and each rep in practice contributes to shaping the wide receiver into the player the 49ers envisioned.

“I’m building more and more confidence the more I’m playing, the more I’m practicing and getting reps in the offense; I’m very confident,” Pearsall said on September 21 (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area & California). “I’m super blessed and happy to be in this situation I am, especially considering the situation that I had to go through last year.

“There’s a lot of things to be happy and excited about each and every day. I wake up and I just remind myself of that every single day. There’s a lot to be thankful for.”

It will be interesting to see if Pearsall can sustain this success for the entire season. Nonetheless, for now, the 49ers are seeing the receiver blossom into a No. 2 guy that can be a running mate alongside Brandon Aiyuk when the star wideout returns from injury.

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo

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