The San Francisco 49ers are inching closer to a playoff berth, and on Sunday they did what playoff teams are supposed to do by decisively taking care of business against a last-place team with a 37-24 victory over the two-win Tennessee Titans.
The offense shined for the 49ers on Sunday, racking up a total of 430 yards while scoring points on their first five possessions. Among those to get in on the action on offense was wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who put up big receiving numbers for the first time in weeks.
We're going to get into some comments from Pearsall in this edition of 49ers Notebook, as well as how the team's veterans have helped him during a period of lower production. Plus we'll also discuss some comments from the players about what this team has been able to overcome to reach the 10-win mark, head coach Kyle Shanahan's thoughts on his birthday, and more. Without further ado...
Pearsall gets back into playmaking form
Sunday's game marked the most productive performance statistically for wide receiver Ricky Pearsall since the first four games of the season, and it couldn't have come at a better time given what's on the horizon.
Pearsall caught six passes for 96 yards against the Titans, the most since he caught four passes for 46 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 28. That statistic may come as a surprise to some considering how strongly Pearsall started the season (20 catches for 327 yards in four games). But in his first three games back from the knee injury that kept him out for October and half of November, Pearsall caught just five passes for 20 yards before breaking out on Sunday.
The 49ers could certainly use that production as they head towards the postseason, and perhaps it will bring some relief for Pearsall, who revealed that like head coach Kyle Shanahan, he's a little tired of hearing the questions about his role and production.
"Yeah, I was getting annoyed too. I ain't gonna lie," Pearsall said Sunday.
But while there may have been those on the outside wondering about Pearsall's numbers, he was able to keep his focus in recent weeks with the help of the team's veterans. They made it a point to remind him that his opportunities will come.
"That's the good part about this team is (Shanahan) doesn't really need to tell me," Pearsall said. "I think he didn't straight up come up to me and tell me for a reason -- he knew the vets in this room. Obviously my locker mates that I'm right next to, there's big vets that tell me the things that I need to hear as a player, that the ball's going to continue to come my way later in the season, to always be ready, and know the impact that I'm making even with the ball in my hands."
Those chances did come against the Titans on Sunday, which Pearsall expected. Even if they didn't, he wouldn't have gotten rattled.
"If I'm being honest, yeah, I definitely thought I was going to have some opportunities today," Pearsall said. "Honestly I have that mindset each and every week, and I've had that mindset each of the last two weeks, for real. Sometimes football just happens where you don't get the ball. There's a lot of things that need to go right in order to get the ball to the receivers. The good thing about this game is it's the ultimate team sport. So whether it is going my way and I have all the cool stats or not, I'm still creating an impact. We're still winning games, and that's all that matters at the end of the day."
Pearsall's afternoon was far from perfect on Sunday, largely due to a couple frustrating injury moments. He limped off the field early on after his ankle got caught up under a defender but later returned, then the knee issue he dealt with earlier in the season flared up towards the end of the game. But in between, he fought through any issues and produced multiple highlight plays, including a 38-yard catch that helped lead to a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half.
Purdy. Pearsall. @49ers in the red zone!
TENvsSF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/ChctemkQdX
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025
"I was banged up that first play," Pearsall said. "I got twisted and tackled, and my ankle just got caught under him as we landed. It sucks; that's the game sometimes. I was obviously frustrated due to what I've already had to go through, but continue to have faith, just go wrap that ankle up, get back in the game and see if you can go. And I felt like I can go. Towards the end of the game obviously I came up limping, but that's just some old stuff."
Pearsall said Sunday he will likely need to get his knee looked at some more after the season, and perhaps it will pop up again as an issue in the weeks ahead. But he plans on continuing to play through it and doing what he can to contribute. Ideally those contributions will look a lot like what he showed on Sunday.
"You know what, everybody in this entire locker room's hurting," Pearsall said. "So I don't want to feel sorry for myself. I don't want anybody to feel sorry for me, because at the end of the day, y'all are not going to feel sorry for me anyways. I think this is just a very physical game, and you're going to have to battle through injuries whether you like it or not. It's 100 percent chance you're probably going to have an injury throughout the season, and that's just what the game is. So what can I do now? That's just attack each and every day for the fullest, try and get it right for next week and go out and make plays for these boys."
Purdy, McCaffrey on Pearsall
One of the veterans who has helped Pearsall through his dry spell was running back Christian McCaffrey, whom Pearsall singled out as someone who has spoken to him in recent weeks. McCaffrey shed some light on how he helped Pearsall, given his history of dealing with injuries.
"We've had a lot of private conversations, but, you know, I've had the utmost respect for Ricky," McCaffrey said. "He's an unbelievable player, and, you know, as good as he's done, he knows he can do more. Just watching him practice, there's really no one that can cover him. He's so good, he's so shifty, he's so fast, great hands. And to go through the things that he's had to go through, you know, just from his rookie year on and continue to have to battle adversity, you know, as far as the injury stuff goes, I've been there before and I know what it's like to have to try to come back. It's difficult, and sometimes it takes a few games to come back to (feeling) like yourself again. And that just is what it is, that's the nature of the game, but the best thing to do is just keep going. The best part about Ricky is he's going to keep getting better, and I can't wait to see when it eventually does pop off, because he's a special player."
Also commenting on Pearsall after Sunday's game was quarterback Brock Purdy, who told reporters he has very open communication with Pearsall and has insisted to Pearsall that he wants to try to get him involved. Purdy says Pearsall has understood why the ball hasn't come his way as much as he'd like, and the two of them worked together to stay on the same page and come up with a day like Pearsall had on Sunday.
"I love Ricky because he and I are honest with each other," Purdy said. "We talk about routes and concepts and after a play he comes back and he tells me what he saw and then I tell him what I saw. We're on the same page. And Ricky's got such a good heart in terms of like, he just wants to do what's best for the team. And so, he'll never be a guy that's going to go out of his way and complain that I didn't get targets or the ball or whatever. He's about the team. He understands that his moments and opportunities will come as we play. Today it was just one of those days.
"But we've all been itching to get him involved since he's been back from his injury and we know how dynamic he is as a receiver. So, I'm the first to tell him that, after in the locker room and everything, I'm like, 'Bro, I want to get you the ball this week. I'm trying, bro, like, stick with me.' And then he is always like, 'Hey bro, I totally get your position and how the game goes.' So, he's got my back, I got his back and to have a day like this was awesome. So, we just have to keep grinding together. And when these days and ops come, you take advantage of them."
Coming out on the other side of adversity
According to NFL.com, the 49ers now have a 98 percent chance of making the playoffs after reaching the 10-win mark on Sunday. That's something that didn't appear likely earlier in the season after the team lost its leader in linebacker Fred Warner to a season-ending injury, just weeks after losing defensive end Nick Bosa.
But the 49ers have been able to fight through those injuries as well as a number of others, including a season-ender to defensive lineman Mykel Williams and injuries that have kept players like Pearsall, Purdy, linebacker Tatum Bethune, and tight end George Kittle on the sidelines for multiple weeks. For that reason, reaching the ten-win mark carries a little extra weight.
"This team's resilient, man," safety Ji'Ayir Brown told NBC Sports Bay Area after the win. "Resilient. I don't think one guy ever sat there and was like, 'what we don't have.' It's always been what we do have. That's what I love about this team. They don't care who's out there. The standard's the standard. The expectations are the expectations. And I'm super proud of these guys because they're all young coming into this. To execute at this level, to be 10-4 right now, it's definitely something you can hang your hat on. But we ain't gonna do that right now."
While the 49ers were all smiles on Sunday, that wasn't necessarily the case earlier in the season. Warner's loss in particular was deflating and felt from the outside looking in at the time like it carried the danger of sinking the season. Left tackle Trent Williams admitted Sunday that Warner's loss wasn't exactly met with an attitude of "next man up."
"No, I won't say that," Williams said. "We have lost guys that are the heart and soul of the team. I'd be lying if I said that I was just ready to roll with the next guy. It took some time. For lack of a better word, we had to mourn a little bit, especially seeing the way Fred went down. It's hard to deal with at the time. Like you said, we are a group of professionals and we have to keep moving forward, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a tough thing to deal with."
But the 49ers did deal with their adversity, with the help of a number of unexpected contributors. Players like Bethune, quarterback Mac Jones, and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne were among those to chip in when the 49ers needed someone to step up, and as a result, it's helped them get to where they are in the wins column as well as with their confidence moving forward. If any extra adversity comes their way from here, it feels like they'll be ready for it.
"The reason we have a lot of the confidence that we have right now is because, you know, Mac Jones won five—what, four or five games early in the season that allows us to be at 10 wins," Kittle said. "And, you know, when he's out there balling, Kendrick Bourne had two games back-to-back (of) 150 yards, like we have guys that are in positions to succeed. And, you know, Kendrick went from two games of 150 to like zero targets for the last three weeks and, hey, it is what it is. He's just out there having a great time encouraging the wide receivers to go make big plays. And that's what this team is, like, try not to be selfish, go out there, play your best ball, and you know, we'll see what happens."
46 trips around the Sun
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan turned 46 years old on Sunday, which he seemed a bit muted about. Not that there'd be much celebration from him anyway in the middle of the season.
Shanahan told reporters he might do a little celebrating at home, and that he definitely appreciated getting a win on his birthday.
"Probably go home and have a couple drinks," Shanahan said. "I usually hate my birthday, not in general, but on Sundays. I haven't had a lot of success on it, so it was nice to win a game on my birthday and actually now I can maybe enjoy it with my family tonight."
49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings was asked about getting something extra for Shanahan on his birthday. It seems like the win was enough for Jennings, which would probably be fine with Shanahan.
"I got him a win, man!" Jennings said with a laugh. "I got him a win. What else is there? We could have won by an extra tuddy or something."
Giving up on the dream?
Both Trent Williams and his teammates have long wondered about the possibility of getting him a touchdown before his Hall of Fame career comes to a close. The fact that Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons caught a touchdown on Sunday brought that topic back into the discussion after the game.
But the 37-year-old Williams seems to have put that idea in the past.
"It's whatever man," Williams said Sunday. "I've had a long time to sit there and fantasize over a touchdown and stuff. I think those fantasies kind of faded a little bit. I just want to lock down the position."
Williams may not have a lot of time left in his NFL career, but that doesn't mean it's time to give up on the touchdown dream just yet. Perhaps if the 49ers clinch a playoff spot in the games ahead, it'll give them some leeway to give him an opportunity...