Why are the 49ers keeping Ricky Pearsall's injury a secret?

The San Francisco 49ers' season finale is upon us. It's the last appearance for rookies and players who are still on the verge of increasing their value. Unfortunately, rookie and first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will not be given that chance.

Pearsall was held out of practice and the final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders this week because of a shoulder injury. He sustained the injury in practice about two weeks ago, which was a repeat of his time in OTAs.

“He can run and do all those things, do our walkthroughs, stuff like that,” Kyle Shanahan said. “But we just want to protect him from hits and stuff like that so he doesn't get set back.”

So it doesn't sound like it's too serious an injury. But the objection is, why are the 49ers making such a secret about Pearsall's injury? There are no details about what he hurt. Everything has been said about his injury in a superficial way and there has been no timeline for recovery.

When it was announced that veteran offensive lineman Jon Feliciano and defensive tackle Kalia Davis would have to undergo surgery, Shanahan laid out a timeline for recovery. He said they expected both players to return midseason. The situation is always uncertain with recoveries, but for these players, he laid out a clear return.

Pearsall, on the other hand, is being kept quiet on the details. Did he tear something? Why are the 49ers treating his injury information like it's nuclear code? Well, the 49ers may be trying to save face. As soon as they reveal that Pearsall is dealing with a pretty serious injury, they suddenly find themselves facing a barrage of criticism for having another questionable first-rounder.

The 49ers have been atrocious in their selection of players in the first round. It's way too early to call Pearsall a player, but it could be that the 49ers don't want to make an unnecessary fuss about his injury if it's more serious than they're letting on.

Of course, the injury isn't a big deal, which is why Shanahan didn't reveal more. Oddly, Pearsall's injury is simply his “shoulder,” with no specifics or timeline for recovery given. Either way, given the practice he's missed, it's hard to imagine him finding a role on offense at this rate.