Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall delivered his best performance as a pro on Monday night, rushing for 141 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions against the Detroit Lions. The impressive performance offered insight into why the San Francisco 49ers selected Pearsall in the first round of April’s draft.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged the importance of Pearsall’s breakout play. The wideout far surpassed his previous best performance – a 73-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. More importantly, Shanahan highlighted Pearsall’s ability to capitalize on his opportunities.

“When the ball came his way, he did a good job, made some good catches and made some great plays,” Shanahan said. “And it doesn’t always work that way with wideouts, but when it came his way, he did a really good job of breaking man coverage well and catching the ball really well, too.”

In addition to his touchdown reception, Pearsall pulled off a spectacular grab in the first quarter that wowed the Levi’s Stadium crowd and showcased his big-play potential.

Although the outcome of the game did not meet the 49ers’ expectations, Pearsall earned high praise from his teammates for his outstanding performance.

“We’ve all seen that with Ricky since he’s been here, the way he runs routes and he’s explosive,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “And for all of us it is like this: We just have to put him in some really good situations and get him the ball because he’s a playmaker.

“And so I’m really happy for him tonight, that I can do that for him. I know that will be good for us in the future, just our chemistry. So, more than anything, really happy for him, and he deserves it, and he’ll continue to do things like that for us.

Pearsall shared that his juggling catch on the sideline was no surprise to him.

“Those are the catches I’m supposed to make,” the receiver said after the game. “When Brock throws the ball my way, I have to make the plays and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way. So it’s no wonder.”

Pearsall added: “That’s what they brought me here to do, so that’s what I’ll continue to do. And for me, like I said, it’s no surprise to me and myself. I have full confidence in the world within myself.

Purdy revealed that he and Pearsall have been putting in extra work since the rookie returned from the non-football injured list. Pearsall missed the first six games of the season due to a gunshot wound to the chest, but Purdy praised the young receiver’s commitment to improvement.

“I’m excited to have him and continue to work with him,” Purdy added.

Although the outstanding performance felt great, Pearsall admitted he would have preferred to come away with a win.

“It felt good to go out and make some plays, but obviously as a competitor I want to go out and come out with a W,” Pearsall admitted. “So it wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.”

Tight end George Kittle wasn’t surprised by Pearsall’s performance, as the rookie had already shown his potential in practice.

“These are the games I always expected from him just from watching him practice in OTAs (organized team activities),” Kittle said. “Every day he covered more than 100 yards. And just putting this game together, I think it’s going to be a huge boost to his confidence because it’s hard to go out there and just not get a lot of catches, not get open a lot.

“Sometimes the ball and the game just don’t go the way you want it to. And for him to go out there and do that, just pile up some catches, run really efficiently, run downhill, he did everything we needed. “I think that’s going to be a huge boost to his confidence and just a big one in his early young career Take a step forward.

Even outstanding defensive player Fred Warner contributed to Pearsall’s perseverance during this challenging season.

“Ricky did it right,” Warner said. “He always was. Just because he hasn’t achieved such a great achievement, you keep knocking on the door, at some point it will happen. He had it in the biggest moment tonight.”

When asked which teammate had the biggest influence on his move to the NFL, Pearsall named wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

“Especially in the receiver room, Deebo has been a tremendous support to me and a great leader for me, obviously coming into a room like that,” Pearsall said. “I just want to make sure he feels appreciated because he should. I appreciate him very much. He was great for me.”