Avoiding injuries has been a significant problem for the San Francisco 49ers in this year’s training camp.
They haven’t had anything major pop up yet, but there are enough smaller injuries to enough players that it’s become a concern with the regular season less than a month away.
The injuries are less crucial for players like linebacker Fred Warner or running back Christian McCaffrey. Having them on the field Week 1 is more paramount than anything, so there’s no need to hit a panic button when they miss some preseason time.
It is much greater concern for rookies like wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
Pearsall has been banged up throughout his tenure with the 49ers. He missed the first part of training camp with a hamstring injury. Now he’s out with a shoulder injury that pushed him out of practice time before and after the preseason opener. He also didn’t suit up for that preseason game.
He was out of Wednesday’s session again per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The clock is ticking on the No. 31 overall pick in this year’s draft to make a meaningful impact in camp, and perhaps in his rookie season.
This isn’t to say Pearsall is a bust or in an impossible spot to earn playing time in Year 1. He’s a talented player the team obviously likes a lot. His route running, athleticism and toughness at the catch point both bode well for his future as an NFL receiver.
The Kyle Shanahan system is just notoriously difficult for first-year wide receivers. Missing training camp means missing valuable practice reps that will help Pearsall get up to speed to earn snaps in Year 1. As his missed practices mount, his opportunities to play his way onto the field dwindle.
He was already facing an uphill climb for snaps behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, but there figured to be some opportunities for the first-round pick to get on the field.
Now injuries have hit the position while Aiyuk is holding in, which would have opened the door for a ton of reps for Pearsall. Instead he’s among the players watching from the sideline. Those mental reps aren’t meaningless, but they pale in comparison to getting on the field and playing against other NFL players.
Once the season starts it gets harder to find reps in practice for players further down the depth chart because practices are so heavily focused on the upcoming game. The space for improvement is dominated by the necessity to win games. Training camp and the offseason program is where the acclimation is supposed to happen.
Pearsall may wind up being fine where he gets some reps leading up to the preseason finale and plays in that game. He could even return in time to suit up for the second week of the preseason. That would be extremely helpful in his quest to find playing time as a rookie.
However, the early track record doesn’t bode well for Pearsall who has been more observer than participant in his first camp. The sooner he flips that, the sooner he’ll have a chance to make an impact as a rookie. If he continues missing time, it may be another year before we see the first-round pick get a real opportunity to contribute.
