Ricky Pearsall missed Wednesday’s practice because his right knee swelled up again, a fresh setback for a receiver the San Francisco 49ers had counted on in camp. The concern is not just the swelling itself. It is the same knee that gave him trouble after a PCL injury in Week 4 last season.
The timing matters because Pearsall was set to start opposite newcomer Mike Evans, and the 49ers are already sorting through injuries only three practices into camp. Jordan James was out Wednesday after suffering a rib fracture in Monday’s practice, Malik Mustapha is sidelined with a strained hamstring and Christian Kirk, Vederian Lowe and Gracen Halton were hurt at the first practice on Sunday.
Pearsall’s right knee has not fully settled since the injury last season, when he missed six games after hurting his PCL. Wednesday’s flare-up did not just remove him from work for a day; it reopened the same question the team has been trying to answer since the injury first happened: how much can he handle before the knee pushes back again?
The 49ers had tried to cut down on wear and tear after a season in which injuries piled up, spending more on health support and building in a jog-through session every fifth day during camp. That plan has not stopped the list from growing. Three practices in, the club already had Pearsall’s knee, James’ ribs and several other early camp issues to manage, even as Brock Purdy looked sharper Wednesday, going 14-of-18 in the team portion of practice.
Assistant head coach Chris Foerster is scheduled to speak Friday while Kyle Shanahan remains out recovering from a concussion and other injuries from a recent car accident, and that is the next chance for a clearer answer on Pearsall. For now, the safest reading is that the 49ers are treating the knee as a real concern, and whether it stays a nuisance or becomes something more serious is still unresolved.
