In Week 17, we got a glimpse into what the 49ers’ passing game could look like in 2025.
That was a 40-34 loss to the Lions during which the defense was terrible but the offense was good. And that’s because they didn’t force the ball to Deebo Samuel for change. He played, but he was an afterthought — Brock Purdy threw him only one pass. The 49ers were beginning to phase him out so they could feature Ricky Pearsall.
In that game, Purdy threw 10 passes to Pearsall, 10 passes to Jauan Jennings and 8 passes to George Kittle. Those will be the 49ers’ top three receivers in 2025. And in that game, Jennings gained 67 yards, Kittle gained 112 and Pearsall gained 147.
Of those three receivers, Pearsall is the most explosive. At the Combine last year, he ran a 4.41 and recorded a 42-inch vertical leap. Those are extremely impressive numbers. So when he finally mastered the 49ers’ offense and Kyle Shanahan started calling plays for him, he produced.
And that’s why Pearsall could lead the 49ers in receiving yards next season. Shanahan probably will try to evenly distribute targets between Pearsall, Kittle and Jennings, not to mention Christian McCaffrey. Plus Brandon Aiyuk should come back at some point this season.
But if Pearsall stays healthy — which is a big if — he should be considered the favorite to lead the 49ers in receiving yards. Because he’s the deep threat and the YAC guy. He’s the one who’s going to create the explosive plays in the offense. He’s the Deebo replacement and he’s a big upgrade.
