San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall returned to action Sunday for the first time since suffering a PCL injury in Week 4. Against the Arizona Cardinals, the second-year wideout was targeted twice, finishing with one catch for zero yards.
It wasn't the explosive statistical return some fans may have anticipated.
Still, the 49ers rolled to a 41–22 victory, and general manager John Lynch believes Pearsall is poised to make a meaningful impact as the season pushes toward the playoffs.
"We got Ricky Pearsall back out there last week, and the production didn't show, but it was good for Ricky just to get back out there, get his legs underneath him," Lynch said Friday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "Ricky does provide a different element, as we've talked about, and I believe that really opens our offense back."
Quarterback Brock Purdy also made his return against the Cardinals, and the Purdy-Pearsall connection could prove crucial as the 49ers battle for a playoff spot in a competitive NFC.
Lynch believes Pearsall's presence alone forces defenses to adjust to the 49ers' offense.
"When you have a guy like Ricky, who's a threat as a route runner, is a threat downfield, as he showed earlier this season, and is just a playmaker, I think there's extra attention that goes that way," Lynch said. "And sometimes it's just the presence of mind. I've played safety, and you're leaning that way a little bit because your coach all week's been talking about, 'Hey, this Pearsall guy, he can get down the field.' That's your job as a DB."
That attention, Lynch notes, can create opportunities for the rest of San Francisco's offense.
"And so, I do think it can open things up." Lynch continued. "And that's what you want to do. You want to put them in a bind. All right, who do we cover right here? Do we cover [TE George] Kittle? Do we give extra attention to [RB Christian] McCaffrey? Oh shoot, Ricky's there and Jauan's (WR Jauan Jennings) over here. They'll throw the [FB Kyle Juszczyk] as well."
With Pearsall finally healthy again, Lynch expects his contributions to grow each week.
"That's what you want to do to people, and I think that's what Kyle's offense does to people," Lynch added. "But then, our talent also lends to being able to do that, the more guys we have out there. But that's why we drafted Ricky as high as we did. And I do think he has an effect on each game that he plays. And I think he'll be even better this week with another week of practice under his belt."
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