At Levi’s Stadium, the July air feels thick with anticipation and unease. They’re two emotions that have become increasingly familiar to 49ers faithful. Training camp is supposed to be a time of promise. A showcase for rookies and a reunion for veterans chasing redemption. But the 49ers’ offseason program took a dark turn for Ricky Pearsall. Following a hamstring injury during the offseason workouts, Pearsall sat out the OTAs and minicamps. As July rolled around, the first-round pick, the versatile receiver tabbed as a potential breakout star, was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list before the training camp. But a return for Pearsall is on the horizon.

The revelation that Ricky Pearsall is beginning camp on the PUP list sent ripples through the league. When asked about the injury, HC Kyle Shanahan sounded optimistic as he noted, “Ricky had a hamstring, nothing serious. He is really pretty good now. We’re just being safe, so he’ll be good by training camp.” Yet when the official list was posted, there was Pearsall’s name. For a team already reeling from the physical toll of 2024, the optics weren’t great. Still, with camp just days away, insiders remain optimistic.

As Matt Maiocco noted recently, “Unless there’s been some bad setback, Rickey Pearsall, based on what we were told in June, should be ready to rock and roll when the 49ers get on the practice field for the first time on Wednesday.” Under NFL rules, any player injured during the offseason can be placed on the PUP list and later activated as soon as they’re cleared, sometimes within days. Unless something quietly changed in the past few weeks, the plan remains intact. We’ll be able to see Pearsall back in action with the rest of the crew. Shanahan’s operation can’t afford any slippage after recent injury-driven heartbreaks. Last offseason, Pearsall also missed almost all the offseason programs because of hamstring and shoulder injuries. The caution of the PUP list now might simply be Shanahan not taking any chances.

If something has gone south since June, it would mean Pearsall missing out on practising in Shanahan’s intricate system. For a team that’s seen major roster shakeups this offseason, that’s lost hours of precious chemistry-building with Brock Purdy and the rest of the revamped roster. It’s also why the optics of a “should make camp” WR landing on the PUP, even briefly, feels like more than another summer blip. There’s a bigger pattern at play as well, and Shanahan’s camp is right in the thick of it. Limiting minor pulls and tweaks from tuning into season-drainers has become a 49ers obsession. Shanahan is also in the thick of takeover rumors concerning his DC. And with more injured players lined up, it’s only getting harder for Shanahan.

Kyle Shanahan’s struggle with a battered roster

While Ricky Pearsall’s situation could resolve with a green light on day one of practices, other 49ers face much longer roads. Brandon Aiyuk, perhaps the most essential weapon in the passing game, also remains on PUP as he grinds through recovery from a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Unlike Pearsall’s “don’t worry” tone, the team is bracing for Aiyuk to possibly miss all of camp – and even open the season sidelined. As Niners Wire’s Kyle Madson writes, “Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk both went on the PUP list as they recover from injuries ahead of training camp. – It doesn’t sound like the club is eager to rush him [Aiyuk] back, so a training camp return isn’t likely.”

Reports suggest Aiyuk could miss the first five weeks of the regular season. Losing your WR1 for the start of a Super Bowl-or-bust season shifts pressure everywhere. Especially if Pearsall is still getting up to speed. With Deebo Samuel gone, and both Pearsall and Aiyuk on PUP, it also brings another headache for Shanahan from Jauan Jennings. Jennings will be the most likely choice for WR1 now, and coming off a career-best 975-yard season, he now has leverage to demand a more lucrative contract than his two-year deal from March 2024. But even that’s not the end of Shanahan’s worries.

It’s not just the receivers. Safety Malik Mustafa and LB Curtis Robinson, both returning from ACL surgeries, further complicate the depth charts. This spring’s injury story isn’t an anomaly. The 49ers’ past few campaigns have been defined as much by who couldn’t play as by those who did. Last year, a parade of injuries upended their playoff run. Remember the 2020 season? Injury attrition knocked the Niners out of playoff contention. Each fresh setback triggers old scars and calls for an answer to the riddle: is it just bad luck or something in the Bay air? In 2025, the focus is on breaking that pattern, not just managing it. How Shanahan and Co. tackle this season may well decide if a loaded roster can finally go the distance.