San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall didn't have much opportunity to build chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy during his rookie season. The first-year player faced setbacks from injuries during training camp, and just as he was recovering and preparing for the regular season, disaster struck—he was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery.
Pearsall didn't hit the field until Week 7. By then, he was already playing catch-up, quickly adapting to the demands of the NFL while building rapport with his quarterback on the fly. However, by the end of the season, Pearsall began showing flashes of his potential, revealing why general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan valued him enough to select him in the first round.
Entering his first full NFL offseason, Pearsall is eager to make the most of the extra time that will come with it.
"I'm definitely excited to build on stuff that I left off on and continue to grow as a player," Pearsall said this week. "And now, I know what's expected. Not going to be a rookie anymore, so nothing's going to be really new. I'll be able to definitely grow as a player. I'm excited for it."
Before the 49ers drafted him, Pearsall was already familiar with Purdy. Both grew up in Arizona and played against each other in high school. That led to a quick off-the-field bond. Now, they just need to ensure that translates onto the football field, too.
"He's just a guy that people are gonna gravitate towards," Pearsall shared. "He's just a good dude, a well-rounded dude, well-spoken, and you have no choice but to respect him and want to be friends with him and good teammates with him.
"And being quarterback and receiver, we gotta develop a good relationship, trust with each other."
That process is already underway. The two have been in contact about offseason plans and getting some work in together outside of the team-organized activities.
"We've already contacted each other about offseason stuff and talked about it," Pearsall told reporters.
When asked if that meant organizing some throwing sessions together, Pearsall confirmed, "Oh yeah. And I know he's gonna come back here, too, and I plan to as well. So we'll definitely get a lot of throwing sessions in, for sure."