Fear grows that 49ers WR injury could be season-ending

The San Francisco 49ers’ growing injury problems at pass catcher may have taken their most damaging turn yet.

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall remains out of practice because of swelling connected to the PCL injury he suffered last season. The 49ers said Wednesday that they are considering every available treatment option, including a surgical procedure that could wipe out Pearsall’s entire 2026 campaign.

“If surgery is required, he’s going to miss the season,” NBC Sports Bay Area insider Matt Maiocco said on KNBR.

Pearsall and the 49ers entered the offseason hoping the injury would heal without an operation. That approach appeared to be working until the 2024 first-round pick experienced renewed swelling after only a few days of training camp.

Maiocco described the decision as a calculated risk. Surgery in February or March may still have cost Pearsall most or all of this season, so San Francisco gave the knee additional time to recover naturally.

That gamble now appears to have fallen short.

“I think that they made a calculated attempt to hope that thing would heal on its own, like it often does,” Maiocco said. “And once it didn’t, or it hasn’t, now it’s time for the 49ers and Ricky Pearsall to decide what they want to do.”

Waiting longer creates another concern. Should Pearsall eventually require surgery after additional attempts at rehabilitation, the delayed procedure could affect not only his 2026 availability but also his preparation for the following season.

“At this point, I think it’s reasonable, rational, logical for the 49ers to not expect Ricky Pearsall to make any contribution in 2026,” Maiocco said.

Losing Pearsall would remove the most natural vertical threat from Kyle Shanahan’s receiving corps. He consistently pushed defenses deeper than San Francisco’s other wideouts last season and produced explosive gains on one-quarter of his targets.

His value extended beyond raw production.

Pearsall’s ability to stretch the field created space underneath for Jauan Jennings, the tight ends and the running game. His combination of speed and contested catch ability would be difficult to replace directly.

The potential loss comes with Christian Kirk already sidelined by a calf injury. Veteran Mike Evans is returning from a season disrupted by a broken collarbone and hamstring problems, while George Kittle continues recovering from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered during the playoffs.

Those issues place even more pressure on rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, whom the 49ers selected with the 33rd overall pick. What initially appeared to some as a luxury addition now looks increasingly necessary.

Pearsall has already missed 14 games through his first two NFL seasons. The 49ers hoped his third year would finally provide the healthy breakout they had been waiting for.

Instead, they may soon be forced to prepare for an entire season without him.