The 49ers have one less wide receiver to sign after first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall put pen to paper on his four-year rookie contract.
The team officially announced the signing Friday morning.
The 49ers' entire eight-player rookie class has now finalized its contracts ahead of the 2024 season.
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All NFL rookie salaries are fixed based on their draft position, giving Pearsall a total value of $12.5 million total over the four-year contract. The Florida product is set to continue being heavily involved in coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense after spending a formidable amount of time on the field during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp.
With no news on the status of a possible contract extension for Brandon Aiyuk, Pearsall could continue to receive an increased number of reps on the field, which will help his NFL transition as well as building chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy.
The rookie showed his ability to catch passes from his new quarterback during on-field work before the team was dismissed for their summer break. Pearsall was on the field with Purdy as well as backup quarterbacks Brandon Allen and Josh Dobbs.
Until the return of Aiyuk, who is under contract through the 2024 season, Pearsall will join Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ronnie Bell, Chris Conley, Danny Gray, Tay Martin, and rookies Jacob Cowing and Terique Owens on the field.
San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan, who keeps himself out of contract negotiations, would always prefer players attend minicamp, but his opinion of Aiyuk has not changed after the receiver's notable absence at the beginning of June.
"You find out when guys are in those situations, whether they come or not,” Shanahan said during minicamp. “Some guys come because they want to avoid a fine, and some don’t. But regardless, it doesn’t change anything when those guys have come. We know what the process is, we know what the business part is, and that’s just how they decide how they want to handle this week.”
The wide receiver contract market is at an all-time high and likely to continue soaring. Aiyuk could continue to hold out through training camp but won't miss playing during a season that will net him his highest career payday, of over $14 million for his fifth season.
So while Aiyuk waits for a new contract, Pearsall has his first NFL deal and is ready to hit the ground running.