Ricky Pearsall's WR1 mindset fuels 49ers expectations in year two

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is entering his second NFL season with confidence and purpose. Poised for a breakout role, the former first-round pick will be counted on in a big way following the offseason trade of Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders and as Brandon Aiyuk continues to recover from ACL and MCL injuries.

Pearsall, along with veteran Jauan Jennings, is expected to start in Week 1 against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area, Pearsall made it clear that his mindset hasn't changed, even with a bigger spotlight on him.

"I feel like my mindset-wise is not changing at all," Pearsall said. "I'm gonna attack it the exact same way. No matter what place I'm at, whatever the coach tells me, I still have that wide receiver one mindset, and that's just how I was raised. I've always been a hard worker. My parents raised me that way, and I've always had that same mindset. No matter what position you're in, whether you're in the depth chart or whatever it is, that's how I just attack my life in general."

Despite competition from other young receivers, Pearsall views the 49ers' wideout group as a supportive, competitive unit built to help each other grow.

"I think, what makes our room really cool is that everybody has that mindset," Pearsall added. "And I think that's something that has very healthy competition in there and makes everybody better. And I'm excited to see what our receiver room can do this year because I'm still very confident in that."

Pearsall has also forged a strong bond with fellow 2024 draft pick Jacob Cowing. Their relationship exemplifies a healthy balance between camaraderie and competition.

"There's always competition," Pearsall said. "We always push each other. We're super close off the field, but when it's time to put our cleats on, and put our helmets on, and go on the field, we know it's go-time. Me and Jacob always talk about it—before every practice, we tell each other one thing that we're trying to work on that day, and we just get each other hyped before. And that's what it's about. It's about competing."

Pearsall's toughness and love for the game were on full display last season. After missing the first six games due to a gunshot injury, he bounced back strong. In 11 games as a rookie, he recorded 400 receiving yards and three touchdowns—210 of those yards coming in the final two games of the season, providing momentum heading into the offseason.

"It was very important for me," Pearsall reflected. "I feel like, throughout the entire year, I've been really confident in my abilities to go out there and perform like that, and as soon as I was called upon to step into that role, I was just making plays, and the opportunities were given to me. And as far as like confidence moving forward, it definitely was a boost to that. But yeah, it was good for me to have those two games."

While he made the most of his rookie year, Pearsall admitted that the season went by too quickly for him due to the time he missed.

"For me, it felt like the season was short, just missing the first half of the season," Pearsall said. "I was ready for more games, especially when I was building momentum like that through the games and getting more comfortable."

Now fully healthy and stepping into a critical role, Pearsall enters 2025 ready to prove why the 49ers invested a first-round pick in him and determined to help the team chase a championship.