San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall followed last week's breakout game with another strong showing in Sunday's 47-24 Week 18 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona. The Arizona native caught six of eight targets for 69 yards, including a six-yard touchdown grab on a contested slant pattern from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Pearsall, who started his 49ers career on a terrifying note -- being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt -- had an up-and-down year once he debuted in Week 7. Pearsall produced four fantasy-useful performances in 2024 but seven in which he was held below six half-PPR points. With momentum and the validation of his first-round pedigree this season, Pearsall could be an intriguing late-round fantasy pick in 2025 depending on the health of Brandon Aiyuk's knee, and if Pearsall can move past Jauan Jennings and/or Deebo Samuel Sr. in the 49ers' hierarchy.

New York Jets kicker Greg Joseph made his lone field-goal attempt and added three extra points in a 32-20 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 18. Joseph was signed off of the Jets' practice squad earlier in the week and hit all of his kicks in the season finale. New York opened the season with Greg Zuerlein as their kicker, but he struggled with injuries and accuracy issues throughout the season. That being said, he is still under contract for one more season so he is likely to open 2025 as the Jets' kicker once again, leaving Joseph to pursue work elsewhere this offseason.

San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. produced well filling in for rookie Isaac Guerendo (knee), who was carted off the field in the first quarter. The former Memphis Tiger took 17 carries for a career-high 109 yards and caught one of four targets for 12 yards through the air. Taylor Jr. looked much better on Sunday than in any other of his limited opportunities in 2024 with physical, one-cut running. The fact that he got any game time at all this year was an improbability in the preseason, as he had four running backs ahead of him on the depth chart before they all went down with injuries at various times. Taylor Jr. finishes the year with 39 carries for 183 yards and one touchdown. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Per head coach Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo (knee, ankle) has likely picked up an MCL sprain but will undergo more testing on Monday to confirm the severity of the injury. Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported the news. That'd be a best-case scenario for the rookie, who was carted off in the first quarter of his team's 47-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Guerendo was bent up awkwardly not even two minutes into the contest and quickly ruled out afterward. San Francisco has been unable to keep a running back healthy this season, as they've had four suffer serious injuries. It's been a disappointing year for the 49ers -- a team with Super Bowl aspirations that won't make a playoff appearance in 2024 after a campaign riddled with injuries. They'll hope for better in 2025.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings was disqualified from Sunday's meeting with the Arizona Cardinals. The wideout was having a fantastic game, amassing seven grabs (10 targets) for 52 yards before getting thrown out in the second quarter for a physical altercation with Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting. With the 49ers ending a disappointing season, Jennings will finish with career-highs in catches (77), targets (113), yards (975), and touchdowns (six). His stock heading into the 2025-26 campaign will already be higher than in previous years. However, if the Niners don't bring back Deebo Samuel Sr., it will increase even more.