It has been a tough few days for 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who is set to undergo knee surgery that will keep him out for the entire 2026 NFL season.

Pearsall’s teammates clearly have his back, though, as he begins a long road to recovery. One of them is fellow receiver Deebo Samuel, who grew close to Pearsall after the latter was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Following his first practice back with San Francisco upon officially signing with the team Saturday, Samuel shared his message to Pearsall after the young wideout received the disheartening news.

“Yeah, [I’ve] kind of been tight with him. He was in Arizona. I was in Arizona, kind of haven’t lost a beat since last year when I left,” Samuel told reporters. “We still stayed in communication, and I kind of talked to him the night whenever he got the news. He was a little frustrated, and I was like, ‘Bro, just keep your head up, man, your time is coming.’

“He’s just kind of had bad luck right now. It’s really nothing he can do about it, but overall, you know, he’s shown what he’s capable of when he’s healthy and, you know, wish him well in surgery and a quick recovery, for sure.”

Likewise, Dre Greenlaw rejoined the 49ers this offseason after a year away, but the veteran linebacker knows Pearsall well from his rookie season in 2024. And like Pearsall, Greenlaw has had his fair share of bad luck with injuries; he played just five games across the 2021 and 2024 NFL seasons due to long-term ailments.

So, he has been able to relate to Pearsall’s frustration like few others can.

“I’ve talked to him and just encouraged him,” Greenlaw said of his message to Pearsall. “Like, ‘Hey, man, it sucks now, but I’m trying to tell you, bro, just keep doing what you’re doing. Just keep pushing yourself, keep getting better. You know, obviously you got to heal up, but just keep doing the little things right.'”

It obviously is a disappointing time for Pearsall, but there’s no shortage of belief in the promising receiver throughout the 49ers’ locker room.

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