49ers rookie WR Ricky Pearsall placed on NFI to open training camp

The 49ers have had a lot of drama surrounding their wide receiver room this week; That only intensified with the latest news about first-round pick Ricky Pearsall.

The San Francisco 49ers announced Tuesday that they have placed the 31st pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on the Non-Football Injury list. The news was first reported by local 49ers outlets, per the NFL transaction wire, before the team made the announcement in the afternoon. While the injury itself was not listed, the incident occurred away from the 49ers’ facility. He can be activated any time off of the NFI.

Ricky Pearsall, 23, has been dealing with minor ailments for most of the summer. The Florida alum sported a blue non-contact jersey during mandatory minicamp in June. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan described the injury as “soreness”, declining to specify more than that. 

Now a week before the start of 2024 Training Camp, Pearsall pops up on the NFI for a different injury, one that he sustained presumably during offseason workouts in Arizona. 

Despite the initial concern, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports that the ailment is not seen as serious by the team.

#49ers Ricky Pearsall’s injury that placed him on the NFI list is not considered serious according to @mattbarrows 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/g3R0GD0Ao2

— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) July 16, 2024

How does this affect Brandon Aiyuk?

SF has had a whirlwind of drama this summer, especially at wide receiver. 

Star wideout Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers have been in a contract standoff all summer, with the player formally requesting a trade on Tuesday. While the Red & Gold will likely not entertain such request, the tension sets up for a tumultuous start to the 2024 season. Especially with the news that Ricky Pearsall will be on the mend to open training camp next week.

Reports indicated that Aiyuk and 49ers’ brass were near an agreement on a contract extension in the spring. But, the WR market changed, with a handful of standouts receiving excessively lucrative deals that reset the market. The Rocklin native (Aiyuk) saw that and raised his price, a decision that the 49ers have been unwilling to get close to reportedly. 

But with so much on the line this season, can both the 49ers and Aiyuk afford to carry offseason drama into the season? Particularly, when the “replacement” has been on-and-off the field already? Only time will tell.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: With all that’s going on with the #49ers WRs, Ricky Pearsall has become one of the league’s more interesting rookies. pic.twitter.com/OnAhgTwrfk

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 16, 2024

San Francisco 49ers 2024 Schedule

Preseason

• Saturday, August 10th @ Tennessee Titans – 4 pm PDT
• Sunday, August 18th vs. New Orleans Saints – 5 pm PDT
• Friday, August 23rd @ Las Vegas Raiders – 7 pm PDT

Regular Season

• Monday, September 9th vs. New York Jets – 5:15 pm PDT
• Sunday, September 15th @ Minnesota Vikings – 10 am PDT
• Sunday, September 22nd – @ Los Angeles Rams – 1:25 pm PDT
• Sunday, September 29th vs. New England Patriots – 1:05 pm PDT
• Sunday, October 6th vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 PM PDT

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