49ers rookie Pearsall begins working out, takes next step in recovery originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is able to resume working out as his focus shifts toward getting back on the field for the 49ers.
Pearsall traveled with his 49ers teammates to Minnesota on Friday afternoon, just 13 days after he narrowly avoided a life-threatening situation.
“He started working out again,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of Pearsall. “I think it was a weight room workout yesterday. He’s back to conditioning, getting back into football shape, and getting back to healthy.”
Pearsall, who turned 24 this week, was shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt on Aug. 31 near Union Square in San Francisco.
The 17-year-old suspect from Tracy is a male who faces charges of attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery.
The bullet exited out Pearsall’s back, near his armpit, without striking any bones or vital organs.
Pearsall has benefited from the support of his teammates and the entire organization. He is a regular in the team’s locker room with an incredibly upbeat attitude.
The 49ers placed Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list, which makes him ineligible to play in the first four games of the season.
Shanahan reiterated that the 49ers expect Pearsall, a first-round draft pick from Florida, to get on the field and make a contribution to the team this season.
“It’s week to week, so I don’t really know when, but he’s traveling with us today, and it’s been a good step this week getting him back into workouts in the weight room,” Shanahan said.
Pearsall appears to have good range of motion with his right arm. The 49ers are not placing any kind of timetable for his return to football activities.
There is no precedent for a player returning from an incident such as this, so they are taking his physical therapy day by day, Shanahan said.
“It surprisingly heals a lot faster than you would think,” Shanahan said. “When you tear your chest and stuff, you’re out for the year. But a bullet hole that goes through your chest and out the back, for some reason, heals a lot faster.”
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