Ricky Pearsall’s services could be needed this Sunday as the 49ers might be without Jauan Jennings
The San Francisco 49ers have been without wide receiver Jauan Jennings for the first two practices this week as he’s battling a hip injury.
In 2023, Jennings was one of the most productive receivers in the NFL against man coverage. He averaged 14.5 yards per reception, with nine of his 11 receptions resulting in first downs. Brock Purdy had a 146.9 passer rating when targeting Jennings against man coverage — the third-highest mark in the NFL.
Per PFF, Jennings has caught six passes on 11 targets for five first downs this season. As a team, the Niners aren’t seeing as much man coverage. But that’ll change this Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs do not hide what they want to do defensively. Steve Spagnuolo wants to play man coverage. Through Week 5, the last time the Chiefs played, only one team ran more Cover 0 than the Chiefs. They’re a predominant man coverage team and will sprinkle in Quarters coverage, which generally turns into man principles post-snap for the secondary.
San Francisco needs a wide receiver who can separate against man coverage. Against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6, Kyle Shanahan relied upon Deebo Samuel on the most critical downs in the red zone. Samuel failed to get open, leading to field goals early in the game.
On the season, Samuel has 11 targets against man coverage. He has four receptions for only 30 yards. Only one player in the NFL with double-digit targets against man coverage has a lower yards per route run than Deebo this season.
Enter Ricky Pearsall.
It’s been a journey to make it to this point for Pearsall, who returned to practice this past Monday for the first time since being shot in the chest on August 31. Pearsall reportedly didn’t have a full range of motion in his right arm and couldn’t lift it above his head until last week.
Shanahan told the media on Wednesday that Pearsall was out of breath after one two-minute drill. The players gave him a hard time for it after he was asked to break the team down, but it might speak to the lack of game shape the Niners first-rounder is in.
If Jennings can’t go — which most players historically don’t under Shanahan if they don’t practice on Thursday — Pearsall would be a welcomed addition, especially if Samuel is still battling a wrist injury.
Purdy spoke about how Pearsall could help the offense, specifically in the red zone, on Thursday:
“He’s doing a really good job, obviously being back and just bringing the juice, going really fast in and out of his cuts and creating some really good separation. And so, obviously, we drafted him in the first round, and he’s got a lot of potential. And yeah, for him to get in and actually be a part of our offense, not just a young guy that’s trying to learn his way, but actually trying to make an impact pretty like early on, for me, I love it. It’s another great option and another part of our offense.
And so, I think obviously tomorrow we’ll go through our red zone plan and stuff, but to answer your question, when you’ve got a guy like Ricky that can win man-to-man matchups and then also open up some other guys too, that’s always a good thing. So, I’m excited to see what he does.”
In 2023, Brandon Aiyuk was among the top four metrically against man coverage. He’s received extra attention this year, which has caused his numbers to dip. The 49ers, especially in the scoring zone, could use a wideout who can win 1-on-1. According to Purdy, that player could be Pearsall.
Pearsall thrived as the motion player in college and was a magnet for quarterbacks on third down. More than two-thirds of his receptions went for first downs or a touchdown at the University of Florida. In the red zone, when you run out of space, and the field is condensed, Pearsall’s feel for zone coverage, ability to win early in the route, and suction cup hands will be Purdy’s best friend. Pearsall is also a tough cookie and can hold on in close quarters after taking a big hit.
The areas where Pearsall excels are precisely what the 49ers need from their wideouts in the red zone. Add the current injuries the Niners have at wide receiver and who would be the potential backups, and it’s not far-fetched to believe Pearsall could make his debut this Sunday.
If the 49ers elect to play Pearsall, it would give the locker room a shot in the arm that you cannot quantify. After everything he’s been through during the past couple of months, it’s the ideal situation for everybody to rally around, and the situation makes too much sense.
If there was ever a team to do it against, it’s the 49ers opponent this Sunday.