Approximately seven weeks after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest, San Francisco 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall is expected to make his NFL debut.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Pearsall will be activated — “full go” — for San Francisco’s Week 7 Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“He’s had a hell of a week and we’re pumped to get him in there,” Shanahan told reporters, via The San Francisco Standard’s David Lombardi. “He’s working his butt off to catch up.”
The 49ers will need Pearsall active, as fellow receiver Jauan Jennings is listed as out for Week 7 with a hip injury.
Pearsall, 24, was shot during an attempted robbery at San Francisco’s Union Square on Aug. 31. The suspect allegedly attempted to steal Pearsall’s Rolex watch while the rookie NFL player was going to a signing event.
His mother revealed that Pearsall suffered a gunshot wound through the chest but did not suffer any damage to vital organs. He was released from the hospital the next day.
Earlier this week, Pearsall returned to practice after being on the non-football injury list since the shooting. General manager John Lynch indicated the receiver’s performance was “trending in a good direction.” Prior to the incident, injuries to his hamstring and shoulder had limited Pearsall’s ability to participate in training camp.
Quarterback Brock Purdy praised Pearsall after Thursday’s practice, explaining how he can be an asset against the Chiefs’ man-to-man defensive schemes.
“When you’ve got a guy like Ricky that can win man-to-man matchups and then also open up some other guys too, that’s always a good thing,” Purdy said after Thursday’s practice. “He’s doing a really good job, obviously being back and just bringing the juice, going really fast in and out of his cuts and creating some really good separation.”
Pearsall was San Francisco’s first-round pick (No. 31 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Florida. He was the sixth receiver taken in the opening round after a senior season during which he caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns.
