The San Francisco 49ers have announced injury designations for eight players ahead of the start of training camp, including key names like wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall.
As expected, Aiyuk will begin camp on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he continues to recover from the ACL and MCL injuries he suffered in October 2024. His rehab timeline has been consistent throughout the offseason.
However, the inclusion of first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall on the PUP list comes as a surprise. Pearsall had been dealing with what was initially believed to be a minor hamstring injury during the offseason program. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had previously stated the rookie wideout was expected to be cleared in time for training camp.
Another notable designation is offensive lineman Ben Bartch, who will begin training camp on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list. Bartch is considered the frontrunner to replace Aaron Banks as the team's starting left guard following Banks' departure in free agency.
Of course, any player on an injury list can be activated at any point once cleared to practice.
The good news is that safety Ji'Ayir Brown, who has been recovering from an offseason ankle procedure, is not among the players starting training camp on an injury list. That signals he is cleared to practice.
Players placed on the PUP list:
- WR Brandon Aiyuk
- OL Andre Dillard
- DE Yetur Gross-Matos
- S Malik Mustapha
- WR Ricky Pearsall
- LB Curtis Robinson
Gross-Matos missed time during the 49ers' offseason program due to a knee injury. Dillard underwent an ankle scope earlier this offseason, while Mustapha is still recovering from the ACL injury he sustained in the 2024 season finale.
Players placed on the NFI list:
- OL Ben Bartch
- S George Odum
The 49ers will look to get these players back on the field as quickly as possible, but for now, they'll begin training camp sidelined as the team prepares for the 2025 NFL season.
Earlier this week, the 49ers placed rookie quarterback Kurtis Rourke on the NFI list.