Gators in the NFL: Ricky Pearsall’s Knee Flares
NFL training camp is underway with former Florida Gators suiting up and beginning their preparations for the 2026 season.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is dealing with a flare-up in his knee and did not participate in 49ers practice on Wednesday.
Pearsall has been dealing with this injury since the 49ers’ loss to the Jaguars on Sept. 28. Pearsall played on and off throughout the rest of the 2025 season, including suiting up for the team’s NFC divisional round loss to the Seahawks.
The 49ers are coming off an injury-plagued season, and Pearsall’s flare-up has the 49ers expressing “concern,” per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
After retiring on July 15, Will Grier is returning as an offensive assistant for the Dallas Cowboys, beginning his duties with the team Wednesday. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer had great praise for the former Gator when asked what he has seen from Grier already.
“I think he’s going to be an outstanding coach,” Schottenheimer said. “I think Will Grier is going to be a terrific coach, and he’ll probably be calling plays in this league in the next six to eight years.”
With the retirement of Grier, the Panthers were not necessarily expected to find a replacement for the fourth quarterback on their roster. However, Carolina welcomed Kyle Trask to work out with the team Wednesday.
The former Gator and 2020 Heisman finalist will compete with backups Kenny Pickett and Haynes King to see who will stay on the roster and win the backup job behind starter Bryce Young.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson is back, and the effects of his eye injury have mostly subsided. He finds himself in a backup quarterback competition with second-year quarterback Riley Leonard to see who will be behind Daniel Jones.
Richardson requested a trade earlier this year, but not much has been done by the Colts to move on from Richardson.
“I think they’re realistic, and we’re realistic,” Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard said. “We’re not just giving him away. I’m not going to do that.”
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Ventrell Miller got the lone interception of the Jaguars‘ practice Thursday, picking off Nick Mullens in 7-on-7 drills. Jacksonville safety Rayuan Lane had another interception, but it was called off for defensive pass interference, leaving Miller’s pick the only legal interception of the day.
After rehabbing his foot injury for most of his final season in Gainesville and the Vikings’ offseason program, Caleb Banks was a full participant on Wednesday, bringing a sense of relief to the defensive lineman.
“I’m excited, I feel like it’s been long overdue,” Banks said. “Ready to roll over and focus on just football now and not have to stay in the training room and do a thousand calf raises.”
Banks was selected 18th by the Vikings in this year’s NFL Draft, joining a Brian Flores-led defense that prioritizes getting after the quarterback. Last season, Flores’s squad tallied 49 total sacks, which was tied for fourth most in the NFL.
Jake Slaughter is competing for a starting spot on the Chargers offensive line, but to do so, he will have to make a position switch. Slaughter played all of his snaps in The Swamp at center, and in doing so, he was named First-Team All-SEC twice, 2025 Second-Team All-American and 2024 First-Team All-American.
But now, Slaughter enters a competition for the starting left guard position alongside Kayode Awosika and Trevor Penning. Awosika got the start with the first-team offense with Slaughter rotating, continuing the team’s pattern from OTAs.
Category: Feature Sports News, Former Gators, Gator Sports, Gators Football, NFL
