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San Francisco 49ers Top Breakout Candidate in 2026
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Ricky Pearsall has been a breakout candidate ever since the San Francisco 49ers took him 31st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
But injuries have gotten in the way every time, and now he enters Year 3 in the league with a future Hall of Fame wide receiver lining up opposite him.
Pearsall's 2025 season, his second with the 49ers, was up and down. He opened on the PUP list, then battled hamstring and PCL knee issues that limited him to just nine games. This came a year after his rookie season was cut to just 11 games due to a gunshot wound to the chest that caused him to miss the first six games of the season.
But when healthy, Pearsall has looked good. He finished the 2025 season with 528 yards on 36 catches, averaging 14.7 yards per catch. It was a step up from his 400-yard rookie season, and he showcased that big-play ability that made him a top prospect in the first place.
The biggest change heading into 2026 is the cast around him. Brandon Aiyuk's days in San Francisco are likely over, and the team let Jauan Jennings walk in free agency. Jennings led all receivers last year with 643 yards and nine touchdowns on 55 catches, playing over 70% of the 49ers' offensive snaps.
They brought in Mike Evans to be Brock Purdy's new top target, along with Christian Kirk for depth, which would seemingly push Pearsall down the pecking order. But it may actually help him.
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Evans and Kirk should draw safety help and top cornerback attention away from Pearsall, giving him more favorable matchups underneath. And Evans, who turns 33 in August and appeared in just eight games in his final year in Tampa, isn't exactly a lock for 17 games either.
If Evans misses any time, Pearsall is the logical next man up for targets from Purdy, a quarterback with whom he's already built good chemistry over two seasons together. George Kittle will still be a factor, but given that he's recovering from a torn Achilles, the offense may not be able to lean on him as much in 2026 as in years past.
Obviously, Pearsall needs to stay on the field, and that will be one of the biggest things to watch throughout training camp. He's now missed significant time in each of his first two pro seasons with different injuries.
But if he comes out of camp fully healthy and builds early rapport with the new-look receiving corps, the talent and opportunity are both there for Pearsall to break out in 2026.
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