Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers’ first-round draft pick, did not play in the preseason because of an aggravated shoulder injury tracing back to his college days, coach Kyle Shanahan explained after Friday’s preseason finale in Las Vegas.
Pearsall last took part in a full-team practice Aug. 6 when his shoulder issue flared up, but there is not significant enough structural damage to call into question his rookie season, the coach told reporters.
“We’ll see how he is. Hoping he gets into practice this week and if he does that’s a pretty good sign of his availability,” Shanahan said in terms of the regular season opener Monday night, Sept. 9 against the New York Jets.
Pearsall revealed that Pearsall subluxed — or partially dislocated — a shoulder that first was hurt in college, prior to the 49ers drafting him 31st overall on April 25. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mike Silver told KNBR-680 AM earlier this week that Pearsall “has a shoulder thing that is now recurring and I think worrying over the long haul, something they knew about before they drafted him and were hoping wouldn’t be a thing.”
Pearsall has conditioned on the side in recent weeks, and he showed no impingement while casually throwing a football and playing catch this week. He played three seasons at Arizona State before improving his draft stock the past two seasons at Florida.
“He did it in college, I think his junior year. About 50 percent of the people coming out of college do that,” Shanahan said of the shoulder issue.
“That really wasn’t the problem. He did it in OTAs for the first time with us,” Shanahan said, alluding to spring practices in May and June. “When you do that, it’s tender. And then he re-did it here a couple of weeks ago. That makes it tender so you want to give him time to come back from it.”
Shanahan shrugged it off as a “normal” injury that’s happened to “80 percent” of NFL players.
Pearsall excelled in spring workouts but a hamstring injury away from the team this summer forced him to open training camp on the Non-Football Injury List. He practiced a week before aggravating his shoulder injury.
The 49ers also played throughout the preseason without Brandon Aiyuk, their leading receiver the past two seasons. Aiyuk, who attended Friday’s preseason game in Las Vegas along with Pearsall, is believed to be nearing a contract extension with the 49ers after requesting a trade last month and subsequently rebuffing interest from other teams.
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Both Aiyuk and Pearsall figure to make the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster that is due Tuesday, along with fellow wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, rookie Jacob Cowing and perhaps a veteran such as Chris Conley, Trent Taylor, Robbie Chosen or Ronnie Bell.
