The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly signed former Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to his rookie four-year deal. The team made him the 31st overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Pearsall was the last unsigned player from the team's most recent draft class.
#49ers have signed WR Ricky Pearsall to his four-year rookie contact. Their entire eight-man draft class is now signed.
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) June 20, 2024
According to OverTheCap.com, Pearsall's four-year contract is worth about $12.54 million. This includes a signing bonus of approximately $5.94 million and a 2024 salary-cap hit of about $2.28 million.
Pearsall (6-1, 189) registered 65 receptions for 965 yards and four touchdowns through 12 game appearances as a senior in 2023, per Sports Reference. Throughout his collegiate career, he caught 159 passes for 2,420 yards with 14 touchdowns over five seasons.
"Yeah, just being a receiver, you have to be really good at getting open and catching the ball," Pearsall told reporters after being drafted. "Those are the two most important things I think I do a very good job. I think I'm elite at both those things, first and foremost. The things that separate me, I feel like, is my competitive spirit, and how I compete on a day-in and day-out basis, and just how detailed I am as a receiver, too. As well when it comes to being disciplined in my routes or even just off the field, being disciplined in my everyday habits. So, I feel like that separates me."
Sharing how Pearsall looked during the 49ers' offseason program, head coach Kyle Shanahan stated, "He's doing a good job. He's got really good hands, so he's rarely going to have a drop. We're getting him a lot of reps. He's getting a lot of different routes, trying all the positions, and we've been really impressed with how he started off."
Thanks to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which runs through the 2030 season, all rookie contracts are set for a duration of four years. First-round selections come with a team option for a fifth year, which, for San Francisco, only applies to Pearsall. NFL teams with players chosen in the first round must activate the player's fifth-year option before the fourth and final year of the rookie deal.
"Though he can be outmuscled at times versus press or at the top of routes, he has Velcro hands and never shies from attacking throws that lead him into impending contact," Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote in his player analysis. "Overall, Pearsall wasn't a home-run hitter on tape, but he is a reliable receiving option with the route quickness and ball skills to quickly become a favorite target for an NFL quarterback. He has the skill set and toughness to work inside or outside and return punts at the next level."
