The San Francisco 49ers are getting some much-needed reinforcements this week, as starting quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall are both returning from multi-week injuries.
Purdy has been out since Week 4 after re-aggravating a toe injury, while Pearsall has missed the same amount of time with a knee injury.
For Pearsall, the 49ers expected the wideout back a while back when talking about initial timelines, but the injury has clearly been significant enough that the team had to hold him out until Week 12.
“It’s always frustrating when you get something taken away from you like that,” Pearsall said about his injury. “Just playing football, that’s part of the game. Sometimes you get banged up, but yeah, it sucks. Anytime I don’t get snaps and I’m not out there with my guys, it sucks for sure.
When it came to the recovery, while Pearsall didn’t think there was a setback, he acknowledged the nature of his PCL injury, which made the recovery longer than expected.
“I wouldn’t say there was setbacks, but we all expected me to come back earlier,” Pearsall acknowledged. “If you look at how PCLs recover, especially for skill guys like me, playing receiver, having to cut off this leg, doing speed cuts, stuff like that, it’s not an easy process just to turn around in a week and come back. Initially, yeah, I was telling myself to come back as quick as possible, and it just didn’t turn out that way.”
So, what’s been different for Pearsall this week compared to weeks past?
“Anytime I start feeling like myself, that’s when I feel like I’m ready to go,” Pearsall said. “I’m not the type to not push through pain. I’m going to still push through pain. This ain’t nothing to me. I’ve been through way worse. I feel like, this week, I’ve been feeling like myself more.”
“If I’m being honest, I was having pain. I was trying to get to the point where I could push through it, and I feel like I can now.”
Injuries have unfortunately been a part of Pearsall’s early career, as he dealt with issues throughout his rookie season. But, it was his first in-season injury that actually made him miss games, so the process to return was different than with the other injuries he’s had.
Prior to getting hurt, Pearsall was a clear difference-maker for the 49ers offense, topping 100 yards twice in four games, while averaging an impressive 16.4 yards per catch.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the plan is to ease Pearsall in, both in practice this week and during the game, but his return is a different feel because of how valuable he was to the offense during the offseason and the first few weeks of the season.
San Francisco enters a crucial stretch here over the next few weeks, with the Arizona Cardinals up first, as they look to make a playoff push following last year’s disappointment. They’ll need the Brock Purdy-Ricky Pearsall connection to start heating up again, so it’s a good sign he’s finally healthy after a long recovery.
The Denver Broncos received tough news Friday afternoon.
As NBC Sports noted, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that running back J.K. Dobbins will amiss Sunday’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a significant foot injury.
Rapoport added that Dobbins is “believed to be out for the foreseeable future.”
His placement on injured reserve remains a real possibility as the team evaluates its options.
“Dobbins is still working through options, and while there is no final determination, IR remains a possibility,” Rapoport said.
The report came from himself and Tom Pelissero.
The development marks a quick escalation from earlier in the week, when Dobbins missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practices.
At that point, the team had not revealed the full severity of the injury.
Dobbins’ injury stems from a hip-drop tackle last Thursday against the Raiders, a play that left him frustrated enough to take to X and call for the move to be banned.
Dobbins ranks fifth in the NFL with 772 rushing yards and has been a huge part of Denver’s offense so far this season.
While Dobbins has officially been ruled out for Week 11, the next major decision comes quickly.
The Broncos must determine by Saturday afternoon whether to place him on injured reserve.
If he is moved to IR before Sunday, the Chiefs game will count toward a required four-game absence.
Placing Dobbins on IR would sideline him for matchups against the Chiefs, Commanders, Raiders, and Packers.
He would be eligible to return Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that discussions are ongoing.
“Nothing has been decided yet, and at some point there will be more clarity with him and some of these other players,” Payton said earlier this week.
Denver’s Week 12 bye gives the team a small cushion, but if the injury is significant enough to keep him out multiple weeks, the IR designation becomes more likely.
“With JK Dobbins potentially headed to Injured Reserve, all eyes turn to RJ Harvey,” Rapoport said.
RJ Harvey has already flashed his dynamic potential in limited work.
Payton praised Harvey’s running style, durability, and readiness to step into a larger role:
“When we drafted him, it was his running skillset, and he had a lot of touches at Central Florida,” Payton said.
“You are starting to see him grow in front of our eyes, and he will have more opportunities in this game.”
Tyler Badie will likely mix in as a third down guy, while Jaleel McLaughlin could be active as well.
Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Chiefs carries major playoff implications for both teams and Harvey has a huge opportunity to step up and flourish in the RB1 role.