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49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall saw his NFL debut delayed after he was shot in a botched robbery that unfolded shortly before the season got underway. He was able to make a full recovery before taking the field for the first time, and he was all class while reflecting on the incident after the year came to an end.
The San Francisco 49ers used the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to scoop up Ricky Pearsall, and the Florida product (by way of Arizona State) was expected to have an immediate impact while giving Brock Purdy a new target to work with.
All signs pointed to Pearsall taking the field for his first NFL game when the 49ers opened up their season against the Jets on September 9th. However, that plan was derailed when he was shot in the chest in Union Square by a 17-year-old who attempted to rob him for the Rolex he was wearing before the weapon was discharged in an ensuing scuffle.
The 49ers placed Pearsall on injured reserve, but it took him less than a week to get back into the weight room after he was discharged from the hospital. He played 11 games after making his delayed debut on October 19th and racked up 31 receptions, 400 receiving yards, and three touchdowns over that span.
San Francisco struggled to get things clicking this season en route to finishing at 6-11, and they ultimately lost seven of their last eight games by capping off the year with a loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.
On Monday, Pearsall got the chance to reflect on the shooting while speaking with KBNR, and you have to respect what he had to say while putting the scary incident in perspective and explaining why he doesn’t hold any ill will against the person who was responsible.
Ricky Pearsall goes in-depth about being shot, and would like to forgive and talk to the kid who shot him during an attempted robbery.
“I don’t how how he grew up so, I can’t judge him as a man just based off one action that he made. As violent as a crime as it was, god forbid… pic.twitter.com/1ycoUYha88
— KNBR (@KNBR) January 6, 2025
Pearsall noted the ongoing case wasn’t his top priority during the season but says he’ll likely be a bit more involved now that it’s wrapped up before saying he’d be open to having a conversation with the alleged culprit (a high school senior who was 17 years old when it unfolded), adding:
“I don’t know how he grew up, so I can’t judge him as a man just based off one action that he made. As violent as a crime as it was—god forbid him doing that to somebody else—I don’t ever want that to happen, so whatever has to go into that…
At the end of the day, I have to be able to forgive him to have that weight off my chest. At some point, I do want to talk to the kid and make sure that, if I can create an impact on him in any way, I think that would be really big. I’d be definitely open to doing that.”
What a guy.