How Pearsall benefits with Aiyuk, Jennings not at 49ers practices

The article How Pearsall Gains from Aiyuk and Jennings Missing 49ers Practices first appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area.

SANTA CLARA: Three veterans were ahead of rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers’ first-round selection, when he joined the team in the latest draft.

But this week, as scheduled team activities got underway, Pearsall discovered that he had moved up a few slots.

As Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk aren’t practicing, Pearsall benefits from more practice reps with starting quarterback Brock Purdy.

Coach Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers stated on Tuesday, “I always think the more reps you get, the more experience you get, the more different situations you can be put in, if you’re talented enough and made of the right stuff, you will only get better.”

However, it can be challenging to generate that at times, particularly in practice when it’s not always operating at maximum speed. It always helps to get as many reps out of it as possible.

Due to contract disputes, Aiyuk and Jennings have not been participating in the 49ers’ voluntary offseason program.

This season, Aiyuk is expected to perform on thefifth-year option with a $14.1 million expected salary. The parties are attempting to reach an agreement on a contract extension that would place Aiyuk among the NFL’s best wide receivers. Around the time of the 2024 NFL Draft last month, Aiyuk was the focus of trade rumors.

This summer, Jennings was a restricted free agent. The 49ers tendered him at the second-round contract for $4.89 million over the course of one season. Jennings can no longer engage in negotiations with other teams because the deadline for them to sign his offer sheet has passed.

Jennings is probably looking for a multi-year contract extension, given he has not yet signed a contract with the 49ers.

Regarding Jennings’ status, Shanahan purposefully withheld his response.ambiguous.

“Workouts are voluntary, so there isn’t a status yet,” Shanahan stated.

In 13 games last season, Jennings caught just 19 catches for 265 yards and one score; therefore, Pearsall is free to take his spot as the 49ers’ third-best receiver.

In Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 25-22 in overtime, but Jennings had a fantastic last game of the season. In addition to passing to running back Christian McCaffrey for a 21-yard score, Jennings collected four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Install the 49ers Talk Podcast and subscribe to it.