49ers hopeful 2 injured rookies will make debuts in preseason finale

The San Francisco 49ers have nearly navigated their three-game exhibition slate with only one game left Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

One of the notable pieces of the 49ers’ preseason has been the absences of rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and rookie fourth-round running back Isaac Guerendo.

Neither player has suited up for a preseason game yet. Pearsall has barely practiced due to hamstring and shoulder injuries, while Guerendo hasn’t suited up since hurting his hamstring on Day 1 of training camp.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Sunday indicated the team hopes to get both Pearsall and Guerendo back in practice ahead of their preseason finale. That would put the pair on track to get their first taste of preseason action when the 49ers visit the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

“Yeah, that stuff is always tough when guys get hurt and they’re not out there,” Shanahan said. “Especially when guys get hurt right away. So that was so good for [WR] Jake [Cowing] to be able to go through this week, stay healthy through this week, and get to play in that game. Hopefully expecting to get [RB] Isaac [Guerendo] back next week. So hopefully practice will go well, and we can take a look at him in the game. Hopefully [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] will get there too.”

Cowing set a strong bar for offensive rookie performances when he debuted against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. He caught four of his five targets for 51 yards, and took his lone carry for 19 yards. Despite missing a ton of time, Cowing looked ready to contribute in the NFL.

The hope is for Pearsall and Guerendo to hit the ground running the same way.

San Francisco will treat their third preseason game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season with starters seeing at least a little playing time. Then they’ll give way to players like Pearsall and Guerendo, who should both receive ample opportunities given their overall lack of playing time in camp and the preseason.

If neither player can suit up or produce in their first game opportunities, it’s worth wondering whether they’ll be effective at all in their rookie seasons. If one or both put together an outing like Cowing did in his debut, they could become bigger factors in their position groups.

However, both Pearsall and Guerendo figure to be a larger part of San Francisco’s offensive plans beyond the 2024 campaign. Not that they can’t contribute in Year 1, but there’s plenty of depth ahead of both players on the roster. That should change next season where the team may rely heavily on their two 2024 draft picks.