Ricky Pearsall adjusts to Brock Purdy, 49ers offense – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

SANTA CLARA – Ricky Pearsall will play his third NFL game on Sunday, and the 49ers rookie said he is making good progress adjusting to the game, but it has also been a process.

“I’m feeling more comfortable every week, to be honest,” Pearsall said Thursday. “Continue to live in that playbook, learn, go out there and execute. I had minimal practice, so I was able to go out there and run through it.”

Pearsall missed the first six games of the 2024 NFL season as he recovered from a gunshot wound sustained during an attempted armed robbery. In his two NFL appearances – one start – the wide receiver was on the field for 88 offensive snaps, or 67 percent.

The chemistry between the 2024 NFL Draft first-round pick and quarterback Brock Purdy has improved as they have more practice time and game reps together.

“It’s getting better and better,” Pearsall said. “Just practice. The more reps we do, the better our timing will be. You can see it after just two weeks of training and it will continue to improve.

“I think it’s more about developing a feeling for each other. I’m in a unique situation where I missed training camp and the first few weeks, so I’m just trying to make up for lost time.”

In addition to missing 50 days on the reserve/non-football injured list, Pearsall was also forced to miss much of his first training camp due to shoulder sublimation and a hamstring injury. Every rep he’s done with Purdy has gotten him closer to his goal of playing a bigger role on offense.

“Continue to be myself,” Pearsall said of his next steps. “I consider myself a great playmaker. So when opportunities arise, just go out there, make the play and impact the game.”

Just as Pearsall was getting into a rhythm, the 49ers had their scheduled bye week. While it was nice for him to see his family in Arizona, the wideout was ready to get back to work in the Bay Area.

“I think from the first game to the second game I started to feel more comfortable out there,” Pearsall said. “I think I was faster. I’ll stay in the system a little longer and collect a few exercises. I think it will just continue to improve. I’m becoming faster and more confident.

“It was nice to get back to Arizona to see my family, but I’ve only had two games so I’m trying to get going.”

Pearsall will get more reps on Sunday when the 49ers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida. Kickoff is at 10 a.m. PT.

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