SANTA CLARA — Rookie Ricky Pearsall has been cleared to make his summer debut with the 49ers.
Pearsall, the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, was removed Monday morning from the non-football injury list, making him eligible to hit the practice field with his teammates.
Pearsall sustained a hamstring injury while working out away from team headquarters leading up to training camp. The 49ers placed him on the NFI list upon reporting to camp on July 16.
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San Francisco planned to keep Pearsall out of practices for the first four days, and he did not experience any setbacks during the first week of training camp. Before the 49ers’ day off on Sunday, Pearsall was seen taking part in on-field physical therapy sessions that included straight-line sprints and short-area cutting.
Pearsall’s absence from the first four practices contributed to the 49ers experiencing issues with their depth at wide receiver. Second-team All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk is not practicing as he seeks a new contract.
Also, Tay Martin and rookie Jacob Cowing have missed practice time due to injuries. The 49ers last week signed free-agent receivers Malik Turner and Frank Darby to compensate for the shortcomings within that position group.
Pearsall had a strong offseason program and figures to have a chance to fill a significant role on offense this season as one of the 49ers’ top four receivers. Pearsall and Jauan Jennings could compete for the No. 3 job behind Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
San Francisco 49ers
Pearsall (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) played five seasons of college football. He began his career at Arizona State before transferring to Florida.
He had his best season last year, catching 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns. Pearsall ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine to help convince the 49ers to select him at the end of the first round.