San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall hasn't played or practiced since Week 4, when he suffered a knee injury. The team clearly hoped the second-year receiver's recovery would progress faster. Otherwise, the 49ers likely would have placed him on injured reserve earlier in the season.
Pearsall has been seen sprinting on the side during practice sessions and even shooting basketballs in the locker room. However, he's still not healthy enough to return to the field.
Speaking with reporters after Friday's practice, head coach Kyle Shanahan shed light on Pearsall's status and why he hasn't been cleared to practice yet.
"[He] can't play football," Shanahan said. "[He] can shoot hoops ... which so can any of us in here. And he can run, and he can hit certain speeds, but he hasn't been able to hit his normal speeds that would allow him to come back.
"We don't let people come back until they can hit their normal speeds before they got hurt, or it makes them susceptible to injury again, so we're just waiting until he hits those markers."
Pearsall has appeared in just four games this season, recording 20 receptions for 327 yards. It remains unclear when the wide receiver will be able to return to game action, but the 49ers are obviously taking a cautious approach to avoid setbacks.