49ers place WR Ricky Pearsall on season-ending IR, schedule surgery

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Saturday that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will be placed on season-ending injured reserve and will undergo surgery to repair a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. ESPN analyst Nick Wagoner noted that recovery from PCL surgery typically takes six to twelve months, with many players returning around the nine-month mark. Lynch added that the team expects Pearsall to make a full recovery and be ready for the 2027 season.

The move opened a roster spot that the 49ers filled by re-signing veteran receiver Deebo Samuel, who officially inked his contract on Saturday. Pearsall, a first-round pick in the 2024 draft, originally injured his knee in Week 4 of the 2025 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He posted 281 receiving yards in his first three games and later missed two of the final four regular-season contests, as well as the playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles, due to the lingering injury. Over his first three seasons, Pearsall will have appeared in a total of 20 games.