Looking to bolster their threatening pass game, the 49ers drafted receiver Ricky Pearsall out of Florida with their first-round selection this past April.
The 31st pick, Pearsall was a highly touted prospect who spent his first two seasons at Arizona State before transferring to Gainesville. There, he set career-highs in both 2022 and 2023, posting 965 yards and four touchdowns last season as a fifth-year senior.
His status for the season opener was already in doubt due to a shoulder injury sustained in training camp. However, the rookie was dealt an even tougher hand at the end of August, just 10 days before San Francisco kicked things off with a 13-point win over the Jets at home.
Pearsall was shot Saturday, Aug. 31 while caught up in a robbery gone wrong. Now, he is nearing his NFL debut as his recovery timeline nears its end.
Here’s everything to know about Pearsall’s injury, including how the 49ers rookie made an incredible seven-week recovery from an offseason shooting.
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What happened to Ricky Pearsall?
The receiver was involved in an attempted armed robbery in the downtown neighborhood of Union Square when both he and the suspect were shot during a struggle for the gun. Pearsall was shot in the chest and then taken to San Francisco General Hospital. He was in stable condition and released the next afternoon.
Pearsall’s mother revealed the next morning on social media that he sustained a bullet wound that exited his back. Miraculously, it did not hit any vital organs, sparing his life.
Erin Pearsall posted the following statement on Facebook.
Ricky Pearsall’s mom, Erin, posted on Facebook that the bullet entered Pearsall’s chest and exited his back without hitting any vital organs pic.twitter.com/YXKUY4m8I3
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 1, 2024
At the time of the shooting, Pearsall was on his way to an autograph signing when he got robbed for his Rolex watch. The ensuing struggle resulted in both the rookie and suspect spending time at S.F. General Hospital with gunshot wounds before they were declared stable.
Pearsall was spotted walking away from the scene to an ambulance after the incident with his shirt off. He was using the fabric to stop the bleeding from his chest wound, which is not visible in the clip below.
49ers first-round pick Ricky Pearsall walking to the ambulance after being shot today during an attempted robbery in San Francisco.
📹 @ZakSNews of @KTVU pic.twitter.com/BlwnENgBLK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2024
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“Once everyone walked in, no one knew the exact story, so I was able to reassure everybody as soon as they got there that he was totally fine,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Sept. 5. “It’s a miracle. Where he got shot is like two inches below his tattoo with praying hands. The whole story is kind of amazing.
“But to tell everyone right when they got there, it was really cool. And then about two hours later, Ricky got on [FaceTime] and talked to everybody.”
The suspect, eventually revealed to be a 17-year-old teenager from Tracy, Calif., was charged with attempted murder in September. He was also charged with personal discharge of a firearm and personal and intentional discharge of that firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery.
“It was a rather extended struggle between Mr. Pearsall and my client,” public defender Robert Dunlap told reporters. “They were really fighting back and forth on the sidewalk.
“I think [the video] supports that this is an attempted robbery and not an attempted murder.”
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Ricky Pearsall injury timeline
Despite occupying a spot on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list two days after the shooting, it only took the receiver five days to return to the practice field, talking to his teammates and tossing around the ball. The NFI list would keep him out for at least four games, which has turned out to be six as of this week.
However, on Friday, it was reported that there was a strong expectation coming out of 49ers practice that Pearsall will make his NFL debut Sunday vs. the Chiefs — a Super Bowl rematch, no less.
There’s a strong expectation that rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut Sunday vs. Chiefs. Pearsall was shot on Aug. 31, and he has been ramping up this week at practice.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 18, 2024
Should he return, Pearsall will join the likes of receivers Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle. Currently, the group is already second in the NFL in passing yards per game (262), fourth in total passing yards (1,629) and first in yards per catch (13.5).
If the rookie has the debut many Niners fans and fantasy owners are anticipating, San Francisco’s passing game will only become more terrifying for opponents to face.