When the 49ers drafted Ricky Pearsall in Round 1, most people assumed they’d have to play him right away. But will they?
Pearsall looked good playing with the first-string offense during OTAs and minicamp. He started in place of Brandon Aiyuk, who is holding out as he negotiates a contract extension with the 49ers. Eventually, Aiyuk will return and reclaim his spot as the starting X-receiver. Then what will happen to Pearsall?
He won’t start over Deebo Samuel as the Z-receiver — Samuel is still in his prime and one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. So if Pearsall is going to play as a rookie, he’ll need to beat out Jauan Jennings for playing time, which might not be so easy to do.
Jennings caught just 19 passes during the regular season — he was the odd man out for most of the year. But in the playoffs, he caught 10 passes in three games and probably would have been the Super Bowl MVP had the 49ers not collapsed. That’s why they gave him a two-year deal worth nearly $16 million.
I can’t see the 49ers spending $8 million per season on average for a wide receiver they don’t intend to play. Jennings is the starting slot receiver and he will catch more than 19 passes next season. His role will increase, not decrease.
Meanwhile, Pearsall will have to wait for one of Aiyuk or Samuel to get injured or traded. And if neither of those things happens this season, Pearsall might not play until next season.
