(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
With the start of the 2024 NFL season right around the corner, the San Francisco 49ers are under a lot of pressure and constant fan and media scrutiny to get something done with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk let the team know he wanted a lucrative long-term contract extension that would make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the league, but the Niners haven’t budged in contract talks, which have resulted in a trade demand from the 27-year-old rising star.
As a possible indication of their intentions regarding Aiyuk, the 49ers added wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the 2024 NFL Draft, perhaps anticipating the veteran wideout’s departure.
Unfortunately, that insurance from Pearsall may be backfiring for the 49ers, with the rookie dealing with a shoulder injury that might be quite concerning for the team and the player, according to NFL insider Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle.
“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,” Silver said on KNBR.
Uh oh. @MikeSilver on KNBR:
“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…”
Why haven’t Kyle or John been asked about this at a presser? pic.twitter.com/qLebNew87e
— Rob “Stats” Guerrera (@StatsOnFire) August 23, 2024
Obviously, the last thing a team wants to hear is that a promising rookie it drafted might be dealing with an injury that could have a long-term impact on his playing status.
To make matters worse, the team hasn’t agreed to that new deal with Aiyuk, but perhaps with this news about Pearsall, 49ers brass will become more open to giving the veteran the contract he’s looking for.
The post 49ers Rookie Has ‘Worrying’ Injury appeared first on The Cold Wire.