49ers Notebook: Purdy, Pearsall put chemistry improvements on display; Nick Martin’s improvement; Chase Lucas on a mission

Even though there were a few noteworthy negatives coming out of the 49ers' 22-19 preseason win over the Raiders on Saturday (a new set of injuries being among them), there were a number of positives that could serve as a springboard for some key players in the days and weeks ahead. Perhaps the most important positive came from kicker Jake Moody, who had a much-needed momentum-building performance by connecting on five of six field goal attempts, including a 59-yard game-winner (which was discussed here earlier). But he was far from the only bright spot, as we'll discuss in this version of 49ers Notebook.

We'll dive into postgame comments from quarterback Brock Purdy on his growing chemistry with wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, plus we'll hear from another player who needed a boost in linebacker Nick Martin as well as a defensive back who is catching attention while going all-out to play on Sundays this year. Let's get started:

The Purdy-Pearsall connection

The possibility of Ricky Pearsall opening the season as the number one receiver on the San Francisco 49ers roster is a very real one, which is why the connection he showed with quarterback Brock Purdy was one of the more encouraging things in Saturday's win.

Pearsall and Purdy connected on three completions for 42 yards in the single drive they played together against the Raiders, with one of those completions delivering a first down on a 3rd-and-18 play. The 49ers are obviously hoping those completions are a sign of things to come, considering the fact they enter into their Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks without both Brandon Aiyuk, who will miss several more weeks as he recovers from a torn ACL and MCL, and Jauan Jennings, who is nursing a calf injury while also engaging in a contract dispute.

Things continue to be a work in progress with Purdy and Pearsall, who didn't have as much time to work together last season as the two would have liked due to Pearsall missing a part of his rookie season after sustaining a gunshot wound. Pearsall, who finished his rookie year with 31 catches for 400 yards in 11 games, was also sidelined this offseason and early in training camp with a hamstring injury. But he and Purdy have been working together when they can, and their chemistry is continuing to improve.

"The more you play with someone, the better timing you get with each other," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the win over the Raiders on Saturday. "Also, when wideouts come from college, it takes a while to learn the timing of an offense and when you miss all of OTAs and all of training camp, you're usually a little behind on that timing. Ricky's a real good route runner. Sometimes he gets too concerned with beating the guy and understanding that he's got to do it in the time of when Brock's looking at him. That's something those guys have really been working through and getting really good at."

Purdy explained during his postgame press conference that he and Pearsall have been keeping a constant line of communication and have been working after hours to make sure they are on the same page.

"I thought it was just like open communication 24/7," Purdy said. "After reps and practice, Ricky comes up to me and he's like, 'Hey, man, I ran this route because I got this look or this leverage, and this is what I was trying to do.' And then I'll tell him, 'Hey, I need you here' or 'That was good. Keep working that. I'll get back to you after I watch the film.' It's like we're just always talking. And he loves football. I love football. So when you got two guys that are willing to put in the extra work and explain what we're trying to get out of a play and reps, I think great things can happen from that."

Purdy continued, "We watched a lot of stuff from last year, too, and understanding where we both need to be better when I'm throwing to him. And I think we honed in on some things this year in camp. In the game, we just go out there and I feel like it's pretty natural, just both of us, our chemistry and everything, But it was one preseason game, so we just got to keep doing it and keep our heads down and keep working hard together."

Purdy is of course correct to point out that limited action in one preseason game isn't enough to get overly excited, but nonetheless it could prove to be a valuable experience if Pearsall is indeed his top receiver in Week 1 or beyond.

"I thought he did a great job overall, just getting him the ball in some space... All the routes that we threw to him were a little different, but it was cool seeing him being able to work each one differently," Purdy said. "Each route was different based off of coverage and the look, so I thought it was great work for both of us to get in some live action and to be able to connect on that in the heat of the moment, which was awesome. So, we're just going to continue to build and get better together, but I definitely thought it was great just working with him this offseason and everything in camp and then finally going out in a game situation and seeing the results, which was awesome."

Martin does a 180

Rookie linebacker and third-round pick Nick Martin found himself on the receiving end of some criticism after the 49ers' preseason opener against Denver, during which he had multiple missed tackles as part of a 30-9 loss. However, things were different against the Raiders for Martin, who finished with a team-leading six tackles with one sack, two tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit.

Martin told reporters after the win over the Raiders that getting his first game out of the way made a big difference in his ability to relax and play within himself in Week 2.

"I think it was one of those things where I just had to get it under my belt and get comfortable," Martin said. "I feel like today definitely felt more comfortable."

Martin said he was too wound up against the Broncos in Week 1, and after a week talking to God, family and Fred Warner, he saw a turnaround.

"I think it was just calming down a little bit," Martin said. "Got a little too amped up, trying to make everything be a kill shot. Even today I had a couple. But I definitely made some improvements. I feel like it was just getting my feet under me, getting settled in, making the most of my opportunities, just playing my game, staying where my feet (are)."

Of course, having Warner to learn from is a luxury for Martin, who in an ideal world will develop into a long-term replacement for Warner's former sidekick, Dre Greenlaw. Martin is doing what any smart rookie linebacker would do by paying full attention to everything Warner is telling him.

"Fred is a dawg," Martin said. "I'm soaking it in, everything he's doing. I'm a student right now."

Lucas with the lid off

While Martin may one day be a starter at linebacker for the 49ers, the second of the team's two third-round picks, cornerback Upton Stout, is expected by many to become the team's starting nickel corner sooner rather than later. But with Stout sidelined for the time being due to injury, veteran Chase Lucas has stepped up the past two weeks, taking full advantage of some extra opportunities.

Lucas stood out in the 49ers' win over the Broncos, then did so once more versus the Raiders with two tackles, a sack, and an interception. If Lucas seems to be playing like a man on a mission, that's because he is.

Lucas first joined the 49ers as a free agent in the 2024 offseason but wound up on the practice squad instead of the 53-man roster. Lucas played in 18 games with the Detroit Lions after being selected in Round 7 of the 2022 NFL Draft, and after missing game action in 2024, he headed into 2025 determined to play on Sundays once again.

"I was tired of being on the sideline," Lucas told reporters Saturday. "I was tired of being in stuff like this (street clothes) when the homies are out there at war. I told myself whatever needs to happen, whatever I need to do, I trained my body like crazy in the offseason. I made sure people were going to know my name this year."

If his first two preseason games are any indication, Lucas may be well on his way to achieving that goal. Shanahan certainly took notice, particularly after Lucas's third-quarter interception against the Raiders that killed a scoring opportunity.

"I saw another pick, saw him do a victory lap after it," Shanahan said of Lucas's performance. "Didn't know if we're going to get him back. I think he went to both end zones during the play, but it seemed like Chase had a really good game. We'll see on the plane, but he definitely showed up on the field."

Lucas told reporters his interception was due in part to preparation and in part to an easy opportunity handed to him by Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell.

"I've got to give it to Coach Saleh [defensive coordinator Robert Saleh] and [safeties] Coach Daniel Bullocks. They give me some great indicators," Lucas said. "There's 135 clips of indicator tape we had before the game, the night before, and I watched it probably ten times. I knew, two by two, if we're playing man they're either going to go slants or they're going to go out route to the 2."

Lucas added, "(O'Connell) threw a perfect pass right into my hands. I've got to thank him for that, for sure."

During his postgame comments, Lucas singled out cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and left tackle Trent Williams as being players who gave him a mental boost through some hard times last season while he was on the sidelines. Lucas looks at Williams as a mentor and showed him some appreciation by wanting to hand him the ball after his interception.

"When I make a play, I want to kind of share that love with him," Lucas said.