49ers' Ricky Pearsall Shares Photo from Hospital, Opens Up on Season-Ending Knee Injury

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall posted an update on his surgery and recovery process for his PCL injury on Thursday.

"The road back starts now," he wrote, in part. "I'm ready for every part of it. Every early morning. Every setback. Every small win nobody sees. Every step that gets me closer to stepping back on that field."

He also pointed out he had never previously missed a game of football because of an injury he suffered on the field prior to this PCL setback.

"So when I got the news, it was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the same injury I had been fighting through, the one that was supposed to be alright, was ultimately going to require surgery and end my 2026 season," he wrote.

It's certainly a blow for both the 49ers and Pearsall, as he was an impact playmaker when he was on the field last season.

In nine games, he tallied 36 catches for 528 yards and 14.7 yards per reception. Had he played all 17 games, it would have been anything but surprising if he challenged for 1,000 yards as he continued to help San Francisco make up for the loss of Brandon Aiyuk.

The 49ers selected Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, although he didn't make his debut until October of his rookie campaign after he suffered a gunshot wound before the season.

Yet he flashed his potential as a rookie with 400 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Pearsall figured to be primed for a third-year leap had he remained healthy, but the 49ers will instead have to turn toward the combination of Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel at wide receiver. While Samuel was with the NFC West team earlier in his career, they are both new additions from the 2025 campaign.

San Francisco starts its 2026 season on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Rams.