Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings step up as 49ers absorb brutal Aiyuk blow

Granted, the San Francisco 49ers have grown accustomed to being without disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for over a year now in the wake of his torn ACL and MCL suffered in October of 2024, followed by an awkward relationship between player and franchise.

That said, following Aiyuk's placement on the reserve/left squad list just ahead of the Niners' Week 15 home bout against the Tennessee Titans, the reality of the receiver being done for the rest of the season (and probably forever in the Bay Area) had to hit a bit harder than normal.

If it did, no one told wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings.

San Francisco pulled off a relatively easy win over a previously two-win Titans squad, 37-24, a game in which quarterback Brock Purdy had little trouble connecting with his two best wideouts.

And while the Niners weren't fully threatened by a bottom-feeding Tennessee team, it was nevertheless comforting for both Pearsall and Jennings to tee off in the victory.

Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings deliver for 49ers after Brandon Aiyuk news

Purdy and Jennings didn't connect for a ton of yardage, but the quarterback opted to rely heavily on his big-bodied target down in the red zone, connecting with Jennings twice for touchdowns, including the opening score:

Jennings only had 37 yards on three catches, far from the team lead in the game.

But, while Jennings made up for it in scores, Pearsall answered with yardage.

The second-year wideout had a San Francisco-best 96 yards on six catches for the game, finally getting the reward after being mostly iced out of the box score the previous two bouts after returning from a knee injury.

That's a refreshing sign, especially considering Pearsall has similar Aiyuk-like attritbutes, ones the 49ers will need to exploit going forward.

For now, the 10-4 Niners can feel pretty confident after upending Tennessee, but they'll need both Jennings and Pearsall to continue stepping up over a challenging three-game stretch to close out the regular season in bouts against the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks.