Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young had plenty of praise for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, recently comparing the young playmaker to some of the greats he once shared the field with.
Pearsall, the 49ers' first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has opened his sophomore NFL season in impressive fashion, recording 16 receptions for 281 yards. His yardage total currently ranks third among all NFL players this season.
Young joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Wednesday and was asked about Pearsall's strong start to the 2025 season.
"Well, he's nifty," Young said, joking that the word might sound outdated but fits perfectly.
"He's Steve Smith a little bit," Young continued. "I feel like he has body control, and he's gonna get open. It's not explosive. It's not like he comes out of the gate and it's like, 'Oh, watch out.' But I feel like he really understands the spatial relationships on the field."
Young likened Pearsall's field awareness to that of former 49ers teammates.
"Brent Jones had that from a tight end spot," Young said. "But he really had a sense of all the people on the field, and where they are and where they're going, what's gonna happen, and how I can fit in. And that's just a knack. Jerry [Rice], obviously, had that big time. John Taylor [too]."
This past offseason, Pearsall worked hard on building chemistry with quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, which has carried over into the regular season. At just 25 years old, he's emerging as a reliable and versatile weapon in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
"Ricky, as a quarterback, he's gonna be where you think he's supposed to be," Young added. "It's like he's gonna find that space, especially against zones. You gotta love Ricky as a young player and what he can develop into. And, again ... it's not like he lines up and you go, 'Uh oh, watch out.' But he's just one of those guys."
With his early success, Young, like many, clearly believes Pearsall is poised to become a long-term difference-maker in San Francisco's offense.