SANTA CLARA — Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall returned to 49ers practice with a heavy workload.
Pearsall missed the past three weeks of practices due to a subluxation of his left shoulder. He took part in the padded practice on Monday while wearing a blue jersey that signified he was off-limits for contact.
However, Pearsall got into the mix a little on his third snap of 11-on-11 action when he blocked 49ers cornerback Darrell Luter on a running play.
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Pearsall took part in nearly 20 plays of the 90-minute practice that consisted of more than 60 snaps from scrimmage.
Within the first couple minutes of practice, Pearsall caught a 15-yard pass from quarterback Brock Purdy near the sideline.
It was Pearsall’s only reception of the day. A couple of other passes intended for Pearsall either were off-target or tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Pearsall appears to be on target to play in the regular-season opener on Monday, Sept. 9, against the New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium.
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The rookie receiver, whom the 49ers selected with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, did not miss any games during his college career.
But he reported to training camp with a slight hamstring injury that kept him out of practice for the first four days.
In Pearsall’s seventh practice, he sustained a partial shoulder dislocation in a recurrence of the same condition he experienced during the 49ers’ offseason program. Pearsall continued to practice in the spring while wearing a blue jersey.
If Pearsall stays healthy, he figures to be in a position to receive significant playing time this season. After all, there are a lot of question marks behind Deebo Samuel.
Brandon Aiyuk’s status with the team remains in question due to an unresolved contract situation. Jauan Jennings, the presumptive No. 3 receiver, has been out for more than a week with an oblique strain. Jennings is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Pearsall and his teammates get a break on Tuesday. The team will not practice as all NFL teams must trim their rosters to the regular-season limit of 53 players by 1 p.m.