While wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is an obvious starter for the San Francisco 49ers heading into the next season, a former player from the team believes that the wideout still has to prove that he deserves the role. Since the 49ers selected Pearsall 31st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, his career has been defined by the struggle to stay healthy. A gunshot wound in 2024 and a PCL injury in 2025 limited him to just 20 games across two seasons. As such, former 49ers safety Donte Whitner now thinks that Pearsall is entering a make-or-break year with his team.

“Now you go into year three,” Donte Whitner said recently on the Grit Code podcast. “Jaxon Smith-Njigba just finished year three – his trajectory said 800 first year, 1100 second year, and 1700 and Offensive Player of the Year third year. I know we are not expecting that from Rick Pearsall. But if Ricky Pearsall misses around 50% of the availability in the games this year, I can say that it’s probably over for the perception of Ricky Pearsall developing into a number one wide receiver in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.”

In 2024, after recovering from his injury, Ricky Pearsall posted 31 catches for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns in 11 games. But that was not exactly the WR1 production that the Niners expected from him. In 2025, despite him being placed on the PUP list in July due to a hamstring injury, there was excitement around Pearsall’s potential heading into the 2025 season. In the first four games during the season, Pearsall had a promising start with 20 catches for 327 yards. 

But the 25-year-old wideout’s momentum was derailed after he suffered a PCL injury in the Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pearsall then missed eight regular-season games along with a playoff matchup, finishing the season with 36 catches for 528 yards. 

Meanwhile, Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was also drafted in the first round of the draft a year before Pearsall, has a different career trajectory. As Whitner pointed out, Smith-Njigba exploded in his third year with 119 catches for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns, helping the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX and earning Offensive Player of the Year honors. 

That performance recently earned Smith-Njigba a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension, which made him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. Now, Whitner does not expect that same level of performance from Ricky Pearsall in San Francisco. But Whitner made it clear that if Pearsall wants to keep playing in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, then he needs to deliver more consistently on the field like Smith-Njigba. 

“The number one attribute for any professional athlete is availability,” Donte Whitner added. “Yeah, being shot while being robbed is not his [Pearsall] responsibility, but it is still on your track record. Last year, coming into the season and healed up from the shot wound: PCL, knee injury, ankle, inconsistency, and a lack of availability. That’s year two. Now we did see him flash, we did see his ability to separate, and we did see him make plays. But we didn’t see it when it counted.”

If Pearsall can stay healthy in 2026, he could finally become the weapon Shanahan envisioned when drafting him as a first-round pick. But this month, while the Niners signed veteran WR Mike Evans in free agency, Pearsall’s position in Shanahan’s offense can be compromised. 

Is Ricky Pearsall still the WR1 in San Francisco? 

With the addition of Mike Evans in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin even called the 49ers winners of free agency. And it’s easy to see why. Evans brings a proven wideout option for the Niners after 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, during which he earned a Super Bowl ring and six Pro Bowl nods while tallying 866 catches for 13,052 and 108 TDs. Now, the veteran wideout is looking excited to win a Super Bowl ring while playing under Kyle Shanahan.

At the same time, while it also looks like WR Brandon Aiyuk’s time in San Francisco is over, Evans can even emerge as the top target in the 49ers’ offense. Yet, according to Donte Whitner, Evans is only a short-term solution for the team, and Ricky Pearsall can still be the WR1. Still, whether Pearsall stays in that position come 2027 depends on what he does this year.

“Now, with no Brandon Aiyuk, you’re forced to go out and get Mike Evans, which is a short-term play,” Donte Whitner said. “It’s not long-term, maybe one or two years. Then, who’s your number one receiver? Who is drafted the highest? Who’s expected to be that? I would say it’s Ricky Pearsall.”

“I’m saying right now with Ricky Pearsall, we know that he has the talent, we know he has the ability, but he doesn’t have the availability, and he can’t stay healthy,” Whitner added. “And I don’t know if you can go and take a third year being a San Francisco 49ers, not having him out there dealing with more injuries, and then go to year four and say Ricky Pearsall is our number one receiver.”

Ultimately, Whitner believes that if Ricky Pearsall continues to separate and get open, he will get the opportunities to catch the ball in San Francisco. The opportunity is wide open in Shanahan’s system, but if Pearsall can’t grab it consistently with both hands, the 49ers may have no choice but to look elsewhere for another long-term solution.