Pearsall’s ‘unbelievable’ rookie year exceeds Shanahan’s expectations

After a tumultuous start to his NFL career that was anything but normal, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall impressed both 49ers general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan. The two figureheads spoke about the rookie's ability to persevere and put together a productive campaign after missing out on the benefits of organized team activities and training camp. "I thought Ricky had an unbelievable season," Shanahan said Wednesday in an end-of-season press conference. "I know the gunshot wound is the biggest, obviously, but I've never had a rookie player miss all of OTAs and training camp and have much of a successful rookie year. It's tough to do that." Shoulder and hamstring injuries sidelined Pearsall before the 2024 NFL season even started, not to mention a gunshot wound from an attempted armed robbery on Labor Day weekend. Pearsall still finished the year with 31 receptions on 46 targets for 400 yards and three touchdowns. Pearsall's resilience is noteworthy - the 24-year-old made his way back to the field after missing the first six games of the year. After the 49ers finished the season with a 6-11 record, the rookie surprised Lynch during his exit interview with an...