After shocking retirement, 49ers linebacker finds new quest

New San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall arrived in Santa Clara this morning, ready to tour his new NFL home before speaking with the media. Pearsall briefly spoke to reporters via Zoom on Thursday night after learning that the 49ers had selected him as the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. During that conversation, he revealed that he had once played against Brock Purdy in high school, acknowledging that the now-49ers quarterback had put up about 70 points against his team. Pearsall had an opportunity to speak to Purdy after learning they had become teammates. "He just reached out to me this morning, just congratulating me, saying, 'We're going to get to work,'" Pearsall shared. "... We're gonna get to work, for sure. And he's from Arizona,

New San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was a teammate of Brandon Aiyuk for one season (2019) at Arizona State. It was Aiyuk's final season with the Sun Devils and Pearsall's first, before transferring to Florida after the 2021 season. Now, the two are teammates again after the 49ers selected Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick. Speaking to reporters after the first round, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that they received a text from Aiyuk after the pick was made. "Fire pick. Can't lie," Aiyuk said in the text, much to Lynch and Shanahan's delight. Shortly after hearing his name called, Pearsall spoke to reporters via Zoom and was asked about his relationship with Aiyuk. "We

Brock Purdy is poised to become the highest-paid player for the San Francisco 49ers next year. That's when the team can begin contract extension negotiations. There's ongoing speculation about where Purdy's impending mega-deal will land compared to the contracts of other elite quarterbacks. While some anticipate he could command the highest salary in the league, especially if he replicates his stellar 2023 performance, others suggest he deserves to be handsomely paid, but without necessarily topping the market. Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum, currently an ESPN analyst, offered his viewpoint on "NFL Live," outlining why he thinks it's advantageous for both Purdy and the 49ers if the quarterback doesn't demand the highest salary in the league. "Well,

It will come down to what makes the most financial sense for the San Francisco 49ers. Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that, based on conversations with other teams, there's a growing sentiment that the 49ers are now more likely to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel following the selection of former Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick. Based on my conversations with other teams, the 49ers are now more likely to deal Deebo Samuel than they are Brandon Aiyuk. Stay tuned.— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver)