TAMPA, Fla. — While running back Christian McCaffrey’s return has already helped the San Francisco 49ers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall who got the scoring started Sunday.
Facing second-and-5 at Tampa Bay’s 46-yard line, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy dropped back, scanned the field and hit Pearsall over the middle. Pearsall caught the pass in stride and raced to the corner of the end zone, just crossing the goal line before stepping out of bounds for his first career touchdown, which put San Francisco up 7-0 with 4:15 left in the first quarter.
Pearsall missed San Francisco’s first six games after he was shot in the chest during an alleged robbery attempt at the end of August. San Francisco used its first-round pick (No. 31) on Pearsall in April’s draft.